The U.S. has been hit with 15 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the first nine months of 2022, according to scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.
Along with September 2022 being quite warm and dry, there was an uptick in tropical activity in the Atlantic, with Hurricanes Fiona and Ian bringing devastation in their wake.
Billion-Dollar Disasters to Date
From January through the end of September, the U.S. experienced 15 weather and climate disasters, each incurring losses that exceeded $1 billion. These disasters included: 10 severe storms, two tropical cyclones, one flooding event, one combined drought and heat wave and one regional wildfire event.
Six new events occurred since the mid-year update, including:
- Hurricane Ian.
- Hurricane Fiona.
- The western wildfires.
- Kentucky/Missouri flooding.
- And two other severe storm events.
These disaster events resulted in more than 340 deaths, with assessments ongoing as of this writing due to hurricane impacts in Florida and Puerto Rico.
Total losses due to property and infrastructure damage is up to $29.3 billion in 2022 so far—but that does not yet include the costs for Hurricane Ian, the western wildfires and Hurricane Fiona, which may push the 2022 total closer to $100 billion—a total reached in four of the last five years.
2022 is also a record eighth-consecutive year where the U.S. experienced 10 or more separate billion-dollar disasters.
