Climate Matters•October 22, 2025
The U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database has a new home at Climate Central, with the latest available data through June 2025.
Climate Central is restarting and sustaining this publicly accessible resource at a time when the frequency and costs of these devastating events have risen to unprecedented levels.
The future of this database was uncertain after NOAA ceased operations of the project in May 2025.
During the first six months of 2025, there have been 14 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the U.S., costing $101.4 billion.
The Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025 were the costliest event so far this year as well as the costliest wildfire event on record — exceeding $60 billion, or about twice as much as the previous record.
With 14 events already this year, 2025 is well above the long-term annual average of nine events per year.
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The U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database has a new home at Climate Central.
Explore the latest data (from 1980 through June 2025)
The future of this database of the most costly U.S. weather and climate disasters was uncertain after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ceased project operations in May 2025.
This data has been used for decades to inform the public, conduct research, insure homes and businesses at risk, and increase communities’ resilience during a period of rising risk.
On October 22, Climate Central launched the new U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database with the latest data (though June 2025) and the full archive (starting in 1980).
Climate Central is restarting and sustaining this publicly accessible resource at a time when the frequency and costs of these devastating events have risen to unprecedented levels.
The peer-reviewed methodologies behind this dataset remain unchanged at Climate Central, where the project will continue to be led by Adam Smith, who served as the lead scientist for the project at NOAA for the last 15 years.
Climate Central will issue regular updates to this dataset and plans to expand upon the foundational work established by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.
In early 2026, Climate Central will release a full review of U.S. billion-dollar disasters in 2025.
Through June 2025, the U.S. has experienced 14 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters this year with a total cost of $101.4 billion.
With 14 events so far this year, 2025 is well above the long-term annual average of nine events per year.
The costliest event of 2025 was also the first. The Los Angeles wildfires (January 7-28, 2025) exceeded $60 billion. This was the country’s most expensive wildfire event on record — costing nearly twice as much as the previous record wildfire event (in 2018) and making the first six months of 2025 the costliest start to any year on record.
Extreme Weather Toolkit: Wildfire provides quick facts and reporting resources about climate change and wildfires.
The remaining 13 billion-dollar events so far in 2025 were all due to severe weather. The first six months of 2025 make this a top-three year for the number of billion-dollar severe storms.
Extreme Weather Toolkit: Severe Weather provides quick facts and reporting resources about climate change and severe storms.
The frequency of billion-dollar disasters has increased dramatically since 1980.
The average number of billion-dollar disasters per year has grown from about three events annually during the 1980s to 19 events annually during the last 10 years.
The last two years (2023 and 2024) shattered previous records with 28 and 27 billion-dollar disasters, respectively.
Over the same period, the direct costs of billion-dollar disasters have surged.
Average annual inflation-adjusted costs more than quadrupled from the 1980s ($22.6 billion per year) to the 2010s ($102.0 billion per year).
Costs continued to rise, reaching an average of $153.2 billion per year during 2020-2024 — a 50% increase over the 2010s.
These trends reflect both the rising frequency and intensity of extreme weather and the growing number of people, homes, and businesses exposed to these hazards. Accelerated development in fire-prone areas, along coasts, and in floodplains can multiply the damage from extreme events.
For more information on billion-dollar disasters, explore Climate Central’s new database including an events overview, summary statistics, interactive charts and maps of archived data (since 1980), and summaries of all 417 events on record.
Climate Central’s Extreme Weather Toolkits provide quick facts and reporting resources on the links between climate change and tropical cyclones, severe storms, heavy rainfall and flooding, wildfire, extreme heat, and more.
Local and state emergency managers, agricultural departments, and insurance data, can give an early sense of the damage and who is affected after extreme weather events. USDA crop reports, state climatologists, and regional climate centers can also help put an event into context.
The U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit provides links to numerous government agencies, tools for assessing hazards, and case studies of adaptation and resilience efforts around the country. Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation integrates information from across the federal government to help communities assess and plan for climate-related hazards in their area.
Local officials and state emergency management agencies can provide information about official disaster planning, emergency response, and available state-funded and federal disaster assistance programs. The Society for Environmental Journalism has compiled disaster resilience resources to support local reporting.
To request an interview with a Climate Central scientist about this analysis, please contact Abbie Veitch, aveitch@climatecentral.org.
Submit a request to SciLine from the American Association for the Advancement of Science or to the Climate Data Concierge from Columbia University. These free services rapidly connect journalists to relevant scientific experts.
Browse maps of climate experts and services at regional NOAA, USDA, and Department of the Interior offices.
Explore databases such as 500 Women Scientists, BIPOC Climate and Energy Justice PhDs, and Diverse Sources to find and amplify diverse expert voices.
Reach out to your State Climate Office or the nearest Land-Grant University to connect with scientists, educators, and extension staff in your local area.
All billion-dollar disaster cost estimates included in this Climate Matters are adjusted for inflation (CPI-adjusted). For a full methodology: https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-services/billion-dollar-disasters/references.
U.S. billion-dollar disaster data and analysis for 2025 (including CPI-adjustments) reflects the latest available data through June 2025.
