NOAA Confirms It Has Been a Busy Weather Year

It’s been a busy weather year.

There have been 24 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect the U.S. as of Nov. 1, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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That’s nearly triple the average over a span from 1980 to 2023. The annual average is 8.5 events in that period, according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.

The events this year included 17 severe storm events, four tropical cyclone events, one wildfire event and two winter storm events resulting in 418 deaths and significant economic impacts.

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According to NOAA, the U.S. has had 400 weather and climate disasters since 1980 in which overall losses at or exceeding $1 billion for a total cost of $2.785 trillion.

The annual average of weather/climate disaster events in the U.S has been on the way up in recent years. For the most recent five years (2019–2023) the average is 20.4 events, according to NOAA.