INDIANAPOLIS — A year when Americans suffered deadly storm systems and 110 degree temperatures for more than a month straight is now marked with another troubling stat that speaks to the impact a warming planet is having on millions of people.
The U.S. experienced a record number of billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the first seven months of 2023, according to a new report from the National Centers for Environmental Information, a division of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.
Fifteen individual weather and climate disaster events were confirmed for January through July 2023, each with losses that exceeded $1 billion, according to NOAA.
That’s the highest number of billion-dollar disasters ever recorded for the first seven months of a year since NOAA began tracking events in 1980.
Those 15 events included 13 severe weather events, one winter storm event, and one flooding event. NOAA estimates the extreme weather events produced more than $39.5 billion in total damages.
NOAA estimated the actual costs for each weather event by month in 2023:
- California flooding from late 2022 to March 2023 - $4.6 billion
- Northeastern cold wave in early February - $1.8 billion
- Severe weather outbreak throughout the East, South in March - $6.1 billion
- Severe weather outbreak throughout the East, South in March - $1.9 billion
- Tornado outbreak in Midwest, East - $5.4 billion
- Severe weather outbreak in Midwest, East - $2.8 billion
- Mid-April severe weather - $1.1 billion
- Mid-April severe weather - $1.9 billion
- Late April severe weather - $1.1 billion
- Early May severe weather - $1.1 billion
- Mid-May severe weather - $2.4 billion
- Texas hailstorms - $1 billion
- Mid-June South severe weather - $2.6 billion
- Mid-June Southern severe weather II - $2.6 billion
- Late June severe weather - $3.3 billion
The events caused 113 direct and indirect fatalities so far in 2023. Since 1980, the report noted there have been 363 weather and climate billion-dollar disasters, which have totaled more than $2.59 trillion in costs and resulted in 15,971 deaths.
July 2023 was the hottest month on record around the world, the EU Climate Change service reported, and the NOAA noted the effects of that extreme weather in its report.
While some parts of the country experienced deadly drought periods and rising temperatures, others were hit by flooding and extreme weather.
Record heat scorched the Southwest throughout July, and Arizona, Florida, Maine and New Mexico all reported their warmest Julys on record. Thirteen more states saw their top-10 warmest Julys on record.
Phoenix was the hottest month for any U.S. city, and suffered 31 consecutive days of temperatures above 110 F from June 30 to July 31.
More than 6.5 billion people—81% of the global population—experienced climate change-attributed heat in July 2023, according to a recent analysis from the nonprofit group Climate Central that studied 200 countries and 4,700 cities.
People living in the northeastern part of the United States experienced severe storms and devastating flooding, as areas reported up to eight inches of rain within a 24-hour period.
A historic flash flood covered parts of Kentucky and Illinois in up to 12 inches of rainfall from July 18 to July 19.
In 2022, the U.S. experienced 18 billion-dollar events.
