NOAA’s National Weather Service will use a new hurricane scale this season called the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The scale keeps the same wind speed ranges as the original Saffir-Simpson Scale for each of the five hurricane categories, but no longer ties specific storm surge and flooding effects to each category. - National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration - NOAA

AIR Worldwide estimates insured losses from the February 23-28 U.S. winter storm will range from USD 150 million to USD 350 million. Insured losses from two prior storms in February estimated at between USD 400 million and USD 1 billion. Boston-based risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide estimated that the insured losses from the winter storm that struck the East Coast between February 23 and 28 will be between $150 million and $350 million. - Insurance Journal

Five homes were destroyed and several others damaged Monday when a tornado passed through Hammon in Roger Mills County, authorities reported. The storm also destroyed a county barn and caused other debris about 6 p.m. Footage from storm chasers showed downed power lines and damage to some residences and buildings in the southern part of the town. No injuries were reported. - The Oklahoman

Work is expected to start next week to place long-term earthen levees in several flood-prone Fargo neighborhoods. The strategy aims to cut down on the desperate backyard sandbagging some neighborhoods have waged annually for years. So far, protests to the plans have been rare from neighborhoods that have recently learned about it, said April Walker, a city senior engineer. - The Forum

The Florida Supreme Court was asked Thursday to decide issues that may dictate the future handling of hurricane claims, insurance payouts and deductibles. The case in dispute involves an $8.1 million federal verdict won by a Boca Raton, Fla., condominium association against Sydney, Australia-based QBE Insurance over its handling of a claim after Hurricane Wilma in 2005. - Law.com

Although Toyota recently has come under fire for not addressing gas pedal problems in its vehicles that led to accidents and injuries, the company has had some positive safety news: The Scion xB and Toyota Corolla have earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick. - Insurance Journal

Relatives of a California state trooper and three family members whose fatal car wreck helped spark Toyota Motor Corp.’s wide-ranging safety recall have sued the automaker for defects they say caused the vehicle to speed out of control and crash. The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in San Diego Superior Court, was the latest in a wave of product-liability cases and other legal action brought against Toyota over complaints of sudden, unintended acceleration in its vehicles. - Business Insurance

An accident victim’s lawyer this week urged the Florida Supreme Court to rule that rental car companies can be held liable for damages in an accident they did not cause in the state, even though a new federal law is designed to shield the companies. The legal concept of holding non-negligent owners responsible regardless who was behind the wheel is known as "vicarious liability.’’ - Insurance Journal

The U.S. Senate last night passed legislation that includes an extension of the federal flood insurance program until March 28. President Obama has signed the measure. The extension means that the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which has been unable to issue policies since its authorization expired at midnight on Feb. 28, has resumed issuing new and renewal policies. - Insurance Journal

No-fault automobile insurance, once seen as a way to limit court costs and lower premiums, has declined in popularity among both insurers and consumers because it largely has failed to accomplish either goal, according to a new study issued today by the RAND Corporation. While no-fault insurance was intended to lower the cost of compensating people involved in automobile accidents by taking most cases out of the court system, it actually increased costs because medical claims rose sharply instead, according to the study. - Rand Corporation