Flood Basics still causing pain for some
Climate-Proofing Our Infrastructure: Building Climate Resilience with the Army Corps of Engineers
The Calm Before and After the Storm: How to Maximize Insurance Recovery for Catastrophic Weather Events
Law Brief®: David Pfeffer and Richard Schoenstein Discuss the Legal Implications of Infrastructure Collapses
Employer Responsibilities During the Texas Winter Storm
Filing Insurance Claims After the Texas Winter Storm
Hurricane Season Begins
As the 2025 hurricane season unfolds, insurance companies prepare. Early summer is time to closely monitor hurricane forecasts, assess risks, and account for financial implications that could arise due to increased property...more
On May 15, 2025, the FERC’s Office of Energy Policy and Innovation, in coordination with the Office of Electric Reliability, released their 2025 Summer Energy Market and Electric Reliability Assessment, highlighting key...more
Unexpected devastating weather events such as hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, fires and other natural disasters can strike at any time, leaving construction projects in disarray. While Mother Nature is often unpredictable,...more
The wildfires in Southern California earlier this year were another sobering reminder of the devastating impact of natural disasters on local communities, and Connecticut is certainly not immune....more
Winter Storm Uri sent shockwaves through Texas, freezing gas supplies at a time of critical need and plunging the state into widespread power outages. In the aftermath, the courts have been flooded with force majeure claims,...more
In the wake of increasingly frequent natural disasters, construction insurance has become more critical than ever. While many stakeholders view insurance as just another project cost, it is actually your first line of defense...more
Welcome to the first 2025 edition of the Zelle Lonestar Lowdown! Our theme this year is Collaboration. We recognize that we are not an island in this industry and our clients, and ultimately the property owners, best benefit...more
Historically, post-downburst research and damage surveys have been limited to damage assessments, review of nearby wind measurements and estimations, and weather radar review....more
Severe Convective Storms (“SCS”) are one of the most common and most damaging natural catastrophes in the United States. SCSs are intense atmospheric disturbances that can cause powerful winds, large hail, heavy rainfall, and...more
Catastrophic events (CAT) include hurricanes, floods, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tornados, and wildfires (See Figures 1-4 below). “CAT season” is the phrase experts commonly use to describe the...more
During the deep summer and early fall, all eyes are on the tropics in areas prone to hurricane activity. Most storms begin as “invests,” or areas of rain shower and thunderstorm activity that is closely monitored by hurricane...more
Severe convective storms (SCSs) occur during all seasons in the United States. According to Aon, severe convective storms have accounted for 70% of global insurance losses in recent years, and there continues to be a rise in...more
Introduction: Exploring Hazardous Weather Patterns Across the US - Every day, somewhere in the United States, some sort of hazardous weather is occurring. The vastness of the nation—from the Arctic Ocean coastline to the...more
On March 28, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its Final Rule: Clean Water Act Hazardous Substance Facility Response Plans (Final Rule) requiring facilities that handle hazardous substances to create...more
Are there differences in the way in which weather derivatives and weather insurance are taxed? Yes. Weather insurance products, including parametric insurance, are taxed as insurance; and derivatives are taxed in accordance...more
Are there differences in the way in which derivatives and insurance contracts are regulated? Yes. Weather derivatives and insurance contracts are subject to totally different regulatory regimes. Derivatives are subject to the...more
In Part I of this series on weather and climate risk management, I reviewed the context within which organizations seek to manage climate and weather-related risks. With extreme weather events becoming more common, there are...more
2023 was the hottest year on record. Not only the hottest since U.S. meteorological recordkeeping began in 1850, but according to Scientific American, 2023 was also “the hottest temperature that our planet has experienced in...more
The rules impose standardized disclosure requirements on public companies beginning as early as 2026 (for fiscal year ending 2025, depending on filer status). Climate-related disclosures, including in financial statement...more
On March 1, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced finalized amendments to the Clean Air Act’s Risk Management Program (RMP) through the Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention Rule (Final Rule). ...more
Today, after nearly two years of anticipation, the SEC finally enacted a climate disclosure rule on a 3-2 party-line vote by the SEC Commissioners. As described by SEC Commissioner Lizarrage, “[b]y requiring registrants to...more
Natural disasters, while undoubtedly disruptive and damaging, can serve as powerful catalysts for organizational transformation if approached with foresight and strategic intent. As we’ve explored, successful post-disaster...more
Hail the size of golf balls, softballs, and even grapefruit has always made weather news. Each spring and early summer, local weather stations and people across the United States share photos and videos on social media of...more
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) recently released an update to its Disaster and Risk Mapping Tool that now allows users to assess natural disaster risks at the community level. NOAA’s...more
Last month, a construction worker died as a storm swept through a construction site in Lebanon, Indiana. The preliminary investigation determined that the contractor was on an elevated platform while working on an industrial...more