The data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that a record number of natural disasters that caused losses exceeding one billion dollars cost the United States a total of $81 billion this year, including devastating wildfires in Hawaii, Hurricane Idalia in West Florida, and a drought that claimed more than 200 lives in the South and Midwest.
Drought
A severe drought and heat wave persisted from early April to the end of September, affecting several states, resulting in losses of $10.5 billion and killing 244 people, making it the costliest and deadliest natural disaster of the year, as the drought killed crops, made livestock farming extremely expensive, affected the low water levels in the Mississippi River, and impacted trade.
Storms
Two days of severe storms in southern and midwestern states like Texas, Alabama, Indiana, and Ohio killed 13 people in March and caused losses of $5.9 billion due to tornadoes and wind damage to homes, businesses, and other infrastructure.
Maui Fires
In Hawaii, hurricane-force winds ignited devastating fires that claimed at least 97 lives and destroyed the historic town of Lahaina in the worst U.S. wildfires since 1918— the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates the cost of the August fires at $5.6 billion, as thousands of homes, vehicles, and businesses were destroyed, and tourism in parts of Maui County was halted for several months before reopening in November.
Hurricanes
A series of tornadoes broke out in midwestern states like Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, resulting in 33 deaths and causing losses of $5.5 billion in homes, businesses, vehicles, agriculture, and other infrastructure at the end of March, making it the fourth costliest natural disaster this year.
Severe Hail
The fifth costliest weather event was a series of severe storms over six days from the Rocky Mountains to Eastern Kentucky that brought a surprising hailstorm to an outdoor concert in Colorado (injuring about 100 people) and spawned more than 60 tornadoes across six states, causing losses of $5 billion and killing eight people.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 482 people died in climate-related disasters costing a billion dollars in 2023. Scientists have warned of increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters as climate change continues. Rising water and air temperatures allow for rapid intensification of hurricanes, increased rainfall intensity, and faster spread of wildfires. A study released in September indicated that extreme weather events will also affect the quality of freshwater sources over time as they impact the concentration of nutrients, minerals, microorganisms, and plastics in rivers and streams. Although 2023 witnessed the highest number of billion-dollar disasters, it was not the costliest year on record. The costs of disasters last year were nearly double those in 2023—$165.1 billion compared to $81 billion in 2023—but there were only 18 of these billion-dollar disasters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calculates the cost of natural disasters by analyzing damages to buildings and their contents; income losses for businesses; damages to vehicles and boats; damages to public assets such as roads, bridges, and levees; disaster response costs; and damages to agricultural assets and electrical infrastructure and offshore energy platforms—excluding healthcare costs or damages to the supply chain or environmental degradation.
Fact
It is remarkable that every state in the country has experienced at least one billion-dollar disaster since 1980. The central, southern, and eastern regions frequently witness high-value disasters, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration states that at least part of Texas has seen more than 100 such events in the past forty years. Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005, is the costliest storm in U.S. history. Hurricane Katrina caused losses of $196.3 billion (inflation-adjusted), according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There were more billion-dollar climate disasters in 2023 than any other year. The previous record was held by 2020, with 22 disasters.
For more information:
- Noaa Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters
- Water Quality Expected To Decline As Extreme Weather Becomes More Common, New Study Says
- Climate Change Worsens Natural Disasters Alongside Racial Inequality
Follow me on Twitter. Send me a safe tip.
Leave a Reply