Hot and cold, wet and dry – extreme weather caused the costliest year of natural disasters on record in 2020, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Key findings
- $165 billion in estimated costs of verified extreme weather events.
- Six weather and climate disasters exceeded $1 billion in losses each.
- Two additional events with losses exceeding $400 million were reported.
- Sixteen fatalities across the events.
NOAA reports that 2020 saw 16 severe weather and climate events cause an estimated $165 billion in losses, making it the most costly year on record. The six weather and climate disasters that exceeded $1 billion in losses were:
- Four Winter Storms – November 13–December 9 ($12 billion)
- Derecho – August 10 ($10 billion)
- Western U.S. Wildfires – August 15–September 30 ($10 billion)
- Hurricane Laura – August 23–30 ($7.5 billion)
- Hurricane Delta – October 9–16 ($5.5 billion)
- Hurricane Sally – September 14–17 ($3 billion)
In addition, two events with losses exceeding $400 million were reported by the NOAA:
- Central U.S. Blizzard – February 13–17 ($4.4 billion)
- Midwest Derecho – August 10–11 ($2.2 billion)
The extreme weather disasters caused 16 fatalities during 2020.
The cost of climate change
This report further confirms the skyrocketing costs of extreme weather events due to climate change – a trend that is expected to continue as global temperatures rise. Scientists warn that climate change is a major threat to global health, infrastructure and the economy.
The NOAA report reinforces the need for robust public policies and proactive public investments to prevent and mitigate the damages from extreme weather events. Investments in resilient infrastructure and preparedness can help curb these costs in the future. Last year was an eventful one for extreme weather, resulting in an estimated total of $165 billion in damages across the United States. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this was a new annual record for damages related to severe weather, breaking the $157 billion mark set in 2017.
The NOAA estimates the total number of weather and climate disasters—including hurricanes, floods, drought, and severe storms—caused over $1 trillion in damages from 2015-2019. Last year, a total of 14 separate disasters each caused over $1 billion in losses, more than double the average number since 1980.
Of the 14 disasters that occurred in 2019, three had the highest damages: Hurricane Dorian ($25.1 billion) in the Bahamas; storms and flooding in the Midwest in March 2019 ($25 billion) and Hurricane Michael ($18.3 billion) in the Gulf Coast.
The damages reported in 2019 are evidence of an increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events globally. According to the NOAA, this is partially due to human-caused climate change, which is causing the atmosphere to warm and making extreme weather events more likely.
All of this has resulted in a greater need for preparedness in face of severe weather events, particularly for citizens living in vulnerable coastal areas. Flooding, in particular, is becoming a much larger threat as sea levels continue to rise and more torrential rains cause flash flooding.
To improve preparedness, the NOAA is currently working on creating a more accurate system for forecasting weather events and their potential effects, so the public can more accurately plan and prepare for the future.
The message is clear: preparing for severe weather is not just sensible, but essential. With ever-increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, it is a matter of not just cost, but also of human lives.