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In a swift move earlier this year, the Trump administration discontinued the national database tracking billion-dollar weather and climate disasters. However, thanks to the unwavering dedication of researchers, this critical data collection continues, highlighting a year that is shaping up to be one of the most financially devastating on record.
Previously, the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) consistently provided data on these costly disasters, dating back to 1980, through a federal website. This year, the NCEI ceased updating the resource, citing shifting priorities, legislative requirements, and staffing changes as directed by the Trump administration.
Since taking office, Donald Trump has been quick to remove climate change-related information from government websites. This has sparked legal battles and efforts by concerned citizens to preserve the data, which is essential for those whose livelihoods depend on it and for shaping public health and safety policies. The billion-dollar disaster database, including its risk map, was crucial for helping communities anticipate vulnerabilities and adapt building codes accordingly.
Today, the nonprofit Climate Central has stepped up, launching its version of the billion-dollar disaster database on its own platform. This initiative continues to monitor weather and climate-related events that have caused at least $1 billion in damages, adjusting costs for inflation. Adam Smith, who led the NCEI’s disaster tool for 15 years, now spearheads this effort at Climate Central.
According to Climate Central’s analysis of the first half of this year, 14 separate disasters have already resulted in a staggering $101.4 billion in damages. This figure is alarmingly high for the United States, where the average has been nine billion-dollar disasters annually. Since 1980, the frequency and severity of these events have increased significantly; back then, the average was only three per year. The past two years have shattered records with 28 and 27 such disasters, respectively.
Analyzing the first six months of this year, Climate Central found that 14 individual disasters have already cumulatively cost $101.4 billion. Those numbers are really high for the US. The nation has faced 9 separate billion-dollar disasters a year, on average, according to the research. These destructive events have become more frequent and intense since 1980. During that decade, the average was just 3 per year. The last two years have been record-smashing, with 28 and 27 such disasters each, respectively.
Average annual inflation-adjusted costs have grown more than six-fold over roughly the same period of time, reaching $153.2 billion per year in the 2020s compared to $22.6 billion per year in the 80s.
This year started off with the costliest wildfire event on record for the US, the inferno that tore across the greater Los Angeles area. With losses topping $60 billion, the January blazes in LA easily made the first six months of 2025 the costliest of any year so far in the database.
