Weather disasters in the United States are getting more expensive.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says 2022 had the third-highest number of billion-dollar disasters in the U.S. since 1980, with 18. It was also a record eighth-consecutive year where the U.S. experienced 10 or more billion-dollar disasters.
All together, disasters in 2022 topped $165.1 billion, not counting the damage from December's winter storms.
It was the third-costliest year due primarily to Hurricane Ian's widespread damage in Florida, the NOAA said. Hurricane Ian was the most costly event of 2022 at $112.9 billion, and ranks as the third most costly hurricane on record for the U.S., behind Hurricane Katrina (2005) and Hurricane Harvey (2017).
The Western/Central Drought and Heat Wave was the second most expensive event for 2022 -- at $22.2 billion -- and one of the more costly droughts on record.
Last year was also deadly, in that the 18 events caused at least 474 direct or indirect fatalities -- the 8th most disaster-related fatalities for the U.S. since 1980.
"2022 was another active year during which we had a high frequency, a high cost, and large diversity of extreme events that affect people's lives and livelihoods -- concerning because it hints that the extremely high activity of recent years is becoming the new normal," the NOAA said in a report.
Since records began in 1980, the U.S. has sustained 341 weather and climate disasters where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion -- including 163 severe storms, 60 tropical cyclones, 37 flooding events, 30 droughts, 21 winter storms, 21 wildfires, and 9 freeze events. The total cost of these 341 events exceeds $2.4 trillion.
1980s
Events -- 31
Total Cost -- $204.9 billion
Cost per Year -- $20.5 billion
Deaths -- 2,970
1990s
Events -- 55
Total Cost -- $313.6 billion
Cost per Year -- $31.4 billion
Deaths -- 3,062
2000s
Events -- 67
Total Cost -- $586.8 billion
Cost per Year -- $58.7 billion
Deaths -- 3,102
2010s
Events -- 128
Total Cost -- $936.3 billion
Cost per Year -- $93.6 billion
Deaths -- 5,227
2020-2022
Events -- 60
Total Cost -- $434.6 billion
Cost per Year -- $144.9 billion
Deaths -- 1,460
In five of the last six years (with 2019 being the exception), weather disasters have eclipsed the $100 billion cost figure -- and hurricanes are mostly to blame.
"One of the drivers of this cost is that the U.S. has been impacted by landfalling Category 4 or 5 hurricanes in five of the last six years, including Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, Michael, Laura, Ida, and Ian," the agency said.
Tropical cyclones have caused more than half (53.9%) of the total damages attributed to billion-dollar weather and climate disasters since 1980; 60 tropical cyclones have caused a combined $1.3 trillion in total damages -- with an average of $22.2 billion per event.
Following tropical cyclones, the most costly event types are:
• Drought, with an average cost of $10.9 billion per event
• Wildfires, with an average cost of $6.3 billion per event
• Flooding, with an average cost of $4.8 billion per event
• Winter storms, with an average cost of $4.2 billion per event
• Freezes, with an average cost of $3.9 billion per event
• Severe storms, with an average cost of $2.4 billion per event
The NOAA pointed out that while severe storms have caused the highest number of billion-dollar disaster events, they have the lowest average event cost.
The total cost of billion-dollar disasters over the last 5 years (2018-2022) is $595.5 billion, an average of $119.1 billion per year, according to the NOAA. The billion-dollar disaster damage costs over the last 10-years (2013-2022) were also historically large: at least $1.1 trillion from 152 separate events.
Every state in the country, as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, has been impacted by at least one billion-dollar disaster since 1980. Texas has seen the most disasters, with more than 100 events since 1980, while only one event has impacted Hawaii.
Texas also leads the U.S. in total cumulative costs ($380 billion) from billion-dollar disasters since 1980. Florida is the second-leading state in total costs ($370 billion), and Louisiana's total costs are the 3rd highest ($290 billion).
The Central, South and Southeast regions typically experience a higher frequency of billion-dollar disasters than other regions, according to the NOAA.
Wildfires are most common west of the Plains states and in several Southeastern states. Inland flood events (not caused by tropical cyclones) often occur in states near large rivers or the Gulf of Mexico. Drought impacts are mostly focused in the Southern and Plains states. Severe local storm events are common across the Plains, Southeast and Ohio River Valley states. Winter storm impacts are concentrated in the Northeastern states. Tropical cyclone impacts range from Texas to New England but also impact many inland states.
In calculating the cost assessments, the NOAA considers several data sources -- both insured and uninsured -- of weather and climate events, including:
• Physical damage to residential, commercial, and government or municipal buildings
• Material assets within a building
• Time element losses like business interruption
• Vehicles and boats
• Offshore energy platforms, electrical infrastructure, military bases
• Public infrastructure like roads, bridges, levees, buildings
• Agricultural assets like crops, livestock, and timber
• Disaster restoration and wildfire suppression costs
Loss assessments do not take into account losses to natural capital or assets, health care related losses, or values associated with loss of life, the NOAA noted. The agency also called their estimates "conservative," as they do not reflect the total cost of weather disasters, only those associated with events more than $1 billion in damages.
"However, these billion-dollar events do account for most of the damage from all recorded U.S. weather and climate events, and they are becoming an increasingly larger percentage of the total damage costs from weather-related events at all scales and loss levels," the NOAA said.
From 1980-2000, about 75% of all disaster-related costs were due to billion-dollar disasters, and by 2010, the percentage had risen to about 80%. By 2022, it has risen to roughly 85% of all disaster-related costs.
As for why billion-dollar disasters are happening more frequently, NOAA says increases in population and material wealth over the last several decades are important factors.
"These trends are further complicated by the fact that many population centers and infrastructure exist in vulnerable areas like coasts and river floodplains, while building codes are often insufficient in reducing damage from extreme events," the agency said. "This is part of the reason that the 2010s decade is far costlier than the 2000s, 1990s, or 1980s."
The NOAA said climate change is also playing a role in the increasing frequency of some types of extreme weather that lead to billion-dollar disasters, "most notably the rise in vulnerability to drought, lengthening wildfire seasons in the Western states, and the potential for extremely heavy rainfall becoming more common in the eastern states."
"Given all these compounding hazard risks, there is an increased need to focus on where we build, how we build, and investing in infrastructure updates that are designed for a 21st-century climate," the NOAA said.
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