According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States established a record for natural catastrophes.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported on Monday that the United States has experienced a frightening 23 distinct weather and climate catastrophes that have each inflicted at least $1 billion in damages.
With still four months left in the year, it has already been a record-breaking calamitous year for weather and climate disasters across the country, from storms to wildfires.
In a statement from the Union of Concerned Scientists, which was not involved in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report, Rachel Cletus said that these alarming figures in what is expected to be one of the hottest years ever are troubling and the latest confirmation of a worsening trend in expensive disasters, many of which bear the undeniable fingerprints of climate change.
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the disasters have claimed the lives of more than 250 people.
These events have cost more than $57.6 billion in total.
This year has a record breaking 23 weather and climate disasters with eight additional $1 billion disasters occurring in the United States in August alone, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated on Monday that Hurricane Idalia and the Hawaii Firestorm are on the list. The occurrences cost more than $57.6 billion and resulted in 253 fatalities.
Hurricane Hilary which had an impact on sections of California and the Southwest in August was not included in the list of catastrophes.
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the storm’s damage estimates are still being calculated.
One tropical cyclone (Hurricane Idalia), two flooding events, one wildfire event, one winter storm event and 18 severe weather events including hailstorms and tornadoes are among the 23 incidents, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The average annual number of catastrophes costing $1 billion or more from 1980 to 2022 was 8.1. The US has experienced 18 billion dollar disasters annually on average during the past five years.
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States has had 371 different weather-related disasters since 1980, with a total cost of $1 billion or more with CPI adjustments through 2023. These 371 events cost more than $2.615 trillion in total.
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the most expensive year for weather disasters was 2017, with $383 billion in damage. This was brought on by the devastation caused by Harvey, Irma, and Maria as well as a devastating wildfire season in California.
In 1980, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration started tracking catastrophes that cost $1 billion or more.
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