"Insurance Industry Grappling With Weather Extremes"

"Three states -- California, New York and Washington -- want to know how insurance companies are planning for weather extremes that come with climate change."

"Such regulatory developments and storm damage in the billions of dollars in the last few years are causing the industry to take another look at forecast models used to assess the risk of catastrophic events and set rates, say organizers of a local workshop on the topic next month.

The professional workshop also comes after the deadliest tornado season in more than 75 years in 2011, with 2012 off to a similar start."

Tim Landis reports for the Springfield (Ill.) State Journal-Register March 17, 2012.