Since 1980, there have been 400 weather and climate disasters where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (including CPI adjustment to 2024), according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
The total cost of these 400 events exceeds $2.785 trillion.
As of November 1, 2024, there have been 24 natural disasters with losses exceeding $1 billion in the United States.
The events included 17 severe storm events, 4 tropical cyclone events, 1 wildfire event, and 2 winter storm events.
Combined, these events resulted in the deaths of 418 people and had significant economic effects on the areas impacted.
The 1980–2023 annual average is 8.5 events (CPI-adjusted); the yearly average of the most recent 5 years (2019–2023) is 20.4 events (CPI-adjusted), a significant increase.
Information provided by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2024). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/, DOI: 10.25921/stkw-7w73