According to a government estimate, last year, extreme weather events in the United States cost more than $165 billion in damage due to significant hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, drought, and a powerful winter storm.
According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there were 18 individual weather – related disasters that cost the nation $1 billion or more in 2022, with Hurricane Lan being the most expensive at around $113 billion, according to AFP.
Richard Spinrad, the administrator of NOAA, said in a statement to the media in this location that “Climate change causing an increase in the intensity of extreme events, which regularly trigger cascading hazards including catastrophic flooding and mudslides, intense drought, and destructive wildfires.”
“Risks from climate change and extreme weather are being experienced by more and more Americans in more regions. People frequently experience the effects of a changing climatic system where they live, work, and play “says he.
According to a year – end analysis from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 2022 tied with 2017 and 2011 for the most billion – dollar catastrophes in a calendar year, trailing only the 22 and 20 distinct billion-dollar incidents of 2020 and 2021, respectively, according to AFP.
According to the NCEI and Spinrad, a growing number of extreme occurrences “hints that the exceptionally high activity of recent years is becoming the new normal” and should act as a “wake-up call” to foster resilience.
The NCEI reported that 2022 ranked third in total costs with a $165 billion figure, behind 2017 (hurricanes Harvey and Irma) and 2005 (hurricane Katrina). However, the amount may increase once the full effects of a massive winter storm that struck the central and eastern US in December are considered.
The research also mentioned that only those costs connected with big catastrophes that each resulted in damages of more than $1 billion are reflected in the data, not the total cost of weather and climate events that occurred in the US last year.
According to the report, the billion-dollar incidents made for nearly 85% of all weather – related damage in the US in 2022.
The costliest hurricane by far was Hurricane Ian, which devastated Florida in September and left 152 people dead and $112.9 billion in damage.
Then came a summer heat wave and drought devastated most of the central and western United States, resulting in $22.2 billion in losses, 136 fatalities, and the significant depletion of reservoirs like Lake Mead, according to AFP.
Wildfires in western US and Alaska, flooding in Missouri and Kentucky, tornadoes in the southern and southeastern states, and the December winter storm were some other weather – related catastrophes.
At least 474 direct or indirect fatalities were caused by the 18 billion dollar events, which is the seventh -highest number since 1980.
