The U.S. has sustained 67 weather-related disasters during the 1980-2007 period in which overall damages and costs reached or exceeded $1 billion at the time of the event. Seven occurred during 1998 alone—the most for any year on record, though other years have recorded higher damage totals.
Two damage figures are given for events prior to 2002: the first represents actual dollar costs and is not adjusted for inflation. The second (in parentheses) is the dollar cost normalized to 2002 dollars using a GNP inflation/wealth index. The total normalized losses for the 58 events are over $350 billion.
Sources include Storm Data (NCDC publication), the National Weather Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, other U.S. government agencies, individual state emergency management agencies, state and regional climate centers, and insurance industry estimates.
| 2007 | Great Plains and Eastern Drought (entire year 2007); preliminary estimate of over $5.0 billion in damage/costs; no reported deaths. |
| Western Wildfires (Summer-Fall 2007); preliminary estimate of over $1.0 billion in damage/costs; at least 12 deaths. |
| East/South Severe Weather (April 2007); preliminary estimate of over $1.5 billion in damage/costs; nine deaths reported. |
| California Freeze (January 2007); preliminary estimate of over $1.4 billion in damage/costs; one death reported. |
| 2006 | Wildfires (Entire year 2006); preliminary estimate of over $1.0 billion in damage/costs; 28 deaths, including 20 firefighters. |
| Widespread Drought (Spring-Summer 2006); preliminary estimate of over $6.0 billion in damage/costs; some heat-related deaths, but not beyond typical annual averages. |
| Northeast Flooding (June 2006); preliminary estimate of over $1.0 billion in damage/costs; at least 20 deaths reported. |
| Midwest/Southeast Tornadoes (April 2006); preliminary estimate of over $1.5 billion in damage/costs; 10 deaths reported. |
| Midwest/Ohio Valley Tornadoes (April 2006); preliminary estimate of over $1.1 billion in damage/costs; 27 deaths reported. |
| Severe Storms and Tornadoes (March 2006); preliminary estimate of over $1.0 billion in damage/costs; 10 deaths reported. |
| 2005 | Hurricane Wilma (October); preliminary estimate of over $ 10.0 billion in damage/costs; estimated 35 deaths. |
| Hurricane Rita (September); preliminary estimate of over $ 10.0 billion in damage/costs; estimated 35 deaths. |
| Hurricane Katrina (August); preliminary estimate of around $100 billion in damage/costs, making this the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history; circa 1800 deaths - the highest U.S. total since the 1928 major hurricane in southern Florida. |
| Hurricane Dennis (July); preliminary estimate of over $2 billion in damage/costs; at least 12 deaths. |
| Midwest Drought (Spring-Summer); preliminary estimate of over $1.0 billion in damage/costs; no reported deaths. |
| 2004 | Hurricane Jeanne (September); preliminary estimate of over $6.9 billion in damage/costs; at least 28 deaths. |
| Hurricane Ivan (September); NY. estimate of over $14 billion in damage/costs; at least 57 deaths. |
| Hurricane Frances (September); estimate of approximately $9 billion in damage/costs; at least 48 deaths. |
| Hurricane Charley (August); estimate of approximately $15 billion in damage/costs; at least 34 deaths. |
| 2003 | Southern California Wildfires (Oct.–Nov.); estimate of over $2.5 billion damage/costs; 22 deaths. |
| Hurricane Isabel (Sept.); estimate of approximately $5 billion in damages/costs; at least 55 deaths. |
| Severe Storms and Tornadoes (May); over $3.4 billion in damages/costs; 51 deaths. |
| Storms and Hail (April.); over $ 1.6 billion in damages/costs: 3 deaths. |
| 2002 | Widespread Drought (Spring–Fall); estimate of over $ 10.0 billion in damages; no deaths. |
| Western Fire Season (Spring–Fall); $ 2.0 billion in damages/costs; 21 deaths. |
| 2001 | Tropical Storm Allison (June); preliminary estimate of approximately $5.0 (5.1) billion; 43 deaths. |
| Midwest and Ohio Tornadoes (June); $1.9 billion in damage/costs, at least 3 deaths. |
| 2000 | Drought/Heat Wave (Spring–Summer); preliminary estimate more than $4.0 (4.2) billion; estimated 140 deaths nationwide. |
| Western Fire Season (Spring–Summer); more than $2.0 (2.1) billion; no deaths reported. |
| 1999 | Hurricane Floyd (Sept.); at least $6.0 (6.5) billion; 77 deaths. |
| Eastern Drought/Heat Wave (Summer); more than $1.0 (1.1) billion; estimated 502 deaths. |
| Oklahoma-Kansas Tornadoes (May); at least $1.6 (1.7) billion; 55 deaths. |
| Arkansas-Tennessee Tornadoes (Jan.); approximately $1.3 (1.4) billion; 17 deaths. |
| 1998 | Texas Flooding (Oct.–Nov.); approximately $1.0 (1.1) billion; 31 deaths. |
| Hurricane Georges (Sept.); estimated $5.9 (6.5) billion; 16 deaths. |
| Hurricane Bonnie (Aug.); approximately $1.0 (1.1) billion; 3 deaths. |
| Southern Drought/Heat Wave (Summer); $6.0-$9.0 billion; at least 200 deaths. |
| Minnesota Severe Storms/Hail (May); more than $1.5 (1.7) billion; 1 death. |
| Southeast Tornadoes and Flooding (Winter–Spring); more than $1.0 (1.1) billion; at least 132 deaths. |
| Northeast Ice Storm (Jan.); more than $1.4 (1.5) billion; 16 deaths. |
| 1997 | Northern Plains Flooding (April–May); approximately $3.7 (4.1) billion; 11 deaths. |
| Mississippi and Ohio Valleys Flooding and Tornadoes (March); estimated $1.0 (1.1) billion; 67 deaths. |
| West Coast Flooding (Dec. 1996–Jan. 1997); approximately $3.0 (3.4) billion; 36 deaths. |
| 1996 | Hurricane Fran (Sept.); more than $5.0 (5.8) billion; 37 deaths. |
| Southern Plains Severe Drought (Fall 1995–Summer 1996); approximately $5.0 (6.0) billion; no deaths. |
| Pacific Northwest Severe Flooding (Feb.); approximately $1.0 (1.2) billion; 9 deaths. |
| Blizzard of '96 and Flooding (Jan.); approximately $3.0 (3.5) billion; 187 deaths. |
| 1995 | Hurricane Opal (Oct.); more than $3.0 (3.6) billion; 27 deaths. |
| Hurricane Marilyn (Sept.); estimated $2.1 (2.5) billion; 13 deaths. |
| Southern Severe Weather and Flooding (May); 5.0-$6.0 (6.5-7.1) billion; 32 deaths. |
| California Flooding (Jan.–March); more than $3.0 (3.6) billion; 27 deaths. |
| 1994 | Western Fire Season (Summer–Fall); approximately $1.0 (1.2) billion; death toll undetermined. |
| Texas Flooding (Oct.); approximately $1.0 (1.2) billion; 19 deaths. |
| Tropical Storm Alberto (July); approximately $1.0 (1.2) billion; 32 deaths. |
| Southeast Ice Storm (Feb.); approximately $3.0 (3.7) billion; 9 deaths. |
| 1993 | California Wildfires (Fall); approximately $1.0 (1.3) billion; 4 deaths. |
| Midwest Flooding (Summer); approximately $21.0 (26.7) billion; 48 deaths. |
| Drought/Heat Wave (Summer); about $1.0 (1.3) billion; at least 16 deaths. |
| “Storm of the Century” Blizzard (March); $3.0-$6.0 (3.8-7.6) billion; approximately 270 deaths. |
| 1992 | Nor'easter of 1992 (Dec.); $1.0-$2.0 (1.3-2.6) billion; 19 deaths. |
| Hurricane Iniki (Sept.); about $1.8 (2.4) billion; 7 deaths. |
| Hurricane Andrew (Aug.); approximately $27.0 (35.6) billion; 61 deaths. |
| 1991 | Oakland Firestorm (Oct.): approximately $2.5 (3.5) billion; 25 deaths. |
| Hurricane Bob (Aug.); $1.5 (2.1) billion; 18 deaths. |
| 1990 | Texas/Oklahoma/Louisiana/Arkansas Flooding (May); more than $1.0 (1.4) billion; 13 deaths. |
| 1989 | Hurricane Hugo (Sept.); more than $9.0 (13.9) billion; 86 deaths. |
| Northern Plains Drought (Summer); at least $1.0 (1.5) billion; no deaths reported. |
| 1988 | Drought/Heat Wave (Summer); estimated $40.0 (61.6) billion; estimated 5,000 to 10,000 deaths. |
| 1986 | Southeast Drought/Heat Wave (Summer); $1.0-$1.5 (1.8-2.6) billion; estimated 100 deaths. |
| 1985 | Hurricane Juan (Oct.–Nov.); $1.5 (2.8) billion; 63 deaths. |
| Hurricane Elena (Aug.–Sept.); $1.3 (2.4) billion; 4 deaths. |
| Florida Freeze (Jan.); about $1.2 (2.2) billion; no deaths. |
| 1983 | Florida Freeze (Dec.); about $2.0 (4.0) billion; no deaths. |
| Hurricane Alicia (Aug.); $3.0 (5.9) billion; 21 deaths. |
| Western Storms and Flooding (1982–early 1983); $1.1 (2.2) billion; at least 45 deaths. |
| Gulf States Storms and Flooding (1982– early 1983); $1.1 (2.2) billion; at least 50 deaths. |
| 1980 | Drought/Heat Wave (June–Sept.); estimated $20.0 (48.4) billion; estimated 10,000 deaths. |
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Billion Dollar U.S. Weather Disasters, 1980–2007
