US Has Seen 24 Weather and Climate Billion-Dollar Loss Events in 2023

The United States has experienced 24 confirmed weather/climate catastrophes, with losses exceeding $1 billion so far in 2023, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

The billion-dollar weather/climate catastrophes through October 10 of this year include one drought event, two flooding events, 18 severe storm events, one tropical cyclone event, one wildfire event, and one winter storm event. Overall, the events resulted in 373 deaths and significant economic impacts on the affected areas, the NCEI said.

The total number of billion-dollar weather and climate loss events so far this year far exceeds the annual average of 8.1 such events since 1980. The 5-year average over the period from 2018 to 2022 is 18.0 billion-dollar loss events, the NCEI said.

The NCEI's report noted that two other events, Tropical Storm Hilary in August and September hail storms in Texas, also have the potential to be billion-dollar catastrophes, though total losses had not yet been calculated as of October 10.

According to the NCEI, the United States has sustained 372 weather and climate disasters since 1980 that caused losses in excess of $1 billion. The total cost of those 372 events exceeds $2.63 trillion, the report said.