U.S. billion-dollar disaster events

One of the most visible consequences of a warming world is an increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events. The National Climate Assessment finds that the number of heat waves, heavy downpours, and major hurricanes has increased in the United States, and the strength of these events has increased, too. A measure of the economic impact of extreme weather is the increasing number of billion-dollar disasters. The map shows all types of weather disasters, some of which are known to be influenced by climate change (floods, tropical storms) and some for which a climate influence is uncertain (tornadoes).

From 1980–2023 (as of June 8, 2023), there have been 357 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion (CPI-Adjusted) each to affect the United States. These events included 30 drought events, 41 flooding events, 9 freeze events, 174 severe storm events, 60 tropical cyclone events, 21 wildfire events, and 22 winter storm events. Each geographic region of the U.S. faces a unique combination of weather and climate hazards. Historically, the U.S. South, Central, and Southeast regions have experienced the highest frequency and highest cost from billion-dollar disaster events. These same U.S. regions are also projected to have the most negative future impacts across several socioeconomic metrics.