A Year Of Billion-Dollar Disasters—And The Maui Fires Weren’t Even The Costliest

Severe storms, wildfires, tornadoes and drought brought 25 major disasters that each caused at least…

Forbes

A record-breaking number of natural disasters that each caused at least $1 billion in damage cost the United States a total of $81 billion this year, data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows, including a devastating wildfire in Hawaii, Hurricane Idalia in western Florida and a drought that killed more than 200 people across the South and Midwest.

Severe Drought In Louisiana Impacts State’s Agriculture Yields — *GETTY IMAGES*

KEY FACTS

Drought: A drought and intense heatwave that lasted from the beginning of April to the end of September swept a dozen states, caused $10.5 billion in damage and killed 244 people, making it the most expensive and deadliest natural disaster this year as a lack of rainfall killed crops, ranchers saw their livestock become too expensive to feed and low water levels in the Mississippi River impacted commerce.

Storms: Two days of severe storms in southern and midwestern states like Texas, Alabama, Indiana and Ohio killed 13 people in March and caused $5.9 billion worth of tornado and wind damage to homes, businesses and other infrastructure.

Maui fires: In Hawaii, hurricane-force winds sparked devastating fires that killed at least 97 people and leveled the historic town of Lahaina in the deadliest American wildfire since 1918—NOAA estimates the August fire storm to have cost $5.6 billion as thousands of homes, vehicles and businesses were destroyed and tourism halted in parts of Maui County for months before re-opening in November.

Tornadoes: An outbreak of tornadoes in the central states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and beyond killed 33 people and caused $5.5 billion in damages to homes, businesses, vehicles, agriculture and other infrastructure at the end of March to become the fourth most-expensive natural disaster of the year.

Hail: The fifth most-expensive weather event was a series of severe storms over six days that stretched from the Rocky Mountains to as far east as Kentucky and brought a dramatic hail storm to a large outdoor concert in Colorado (injuring roughly 100 people) and more than 60 tornadoes touched down in six states, causing $5 billion in damage and killing eight.