USA BILLION-DOLLAR CLIMATE AND
WEATHER DISASTERS
Jan
27, 2005 � The NOAA
National Climatic Data Center updated the Web site that lists U.S.
billion dollar weather and climate disasters from 1980 to the present.
The update includes revised figures for 2003 events and new data for
2004 events. NCDC, located in Asheville, N.C., is the world’s
largest reservoir of archived climate and weather data. (Click
NOAA image for larger view of billion-dollar weather disasters across
the USA from 1980-2004. Click
here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please
credit “NOAA.”)
In 2004,
the four new events added included are Hurricanes Charley, Frances,
Ivan and Jeanne. Combined, these monster storms caused at least 152
deaths and more than $42 billion in damages. The NCDC report is available
online, which includes various graphics and links to more extensive
reports on each event.
The
U.S. has sustained 62 weather-related disasters during the 1980-2004
period in which overall damages and costs reached or exceeded $1 billion
at the time of the event. Fifty-three of these disasters occurred since
1988 with total unadjusted damages/costs of nearly $260 billion. Seven
events occurred in 1998 alone—the most for any year in the summary
period, though other years have recorded higher damage totals. Events
are listed beginning with the most recent. (Click NOAA image
for larger view of United States billion-dollar climate and weather
disasters by state for the period 1980-2004. Click
here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please
credit “NOAA.”)
NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety
through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events
and providing environmental stewardship of the nation�s coastal and
marine resources. NOAA is part of the U.S.
Department of Commerce.
Relevant Web Sites
NOAA
Billion Dollar U.S. Weather Disasters 1980-2004
NOAA
National Climatic Data Center
Media
Contact:
John
Leslie, NOAA Satellites and
Information Service, (301) 457-5005
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