The day was beautiful, without a cloud in the sky. By mid-afternoon, however, the sky had darkened and forecasters talked about the possibility of late afternoon and evening thunderstorms.

When fire roared through a family's Houston home, it seemed to be an obvious case of gasoline-started arson -- and an ugly hate crime.

Another quiet hurricane season, some near misses with catastrophes worldwide, and continued softening in pricing, terms and conditions have contributed to another good renewal season for reinsurance

The recent conflagrations and subsequent damage in Southern California showed that natural catastrophes come in all different shapes, sizes, and elements.