Last year costliest for natural disasters in history of America

WITH a barrage of fires, freezes, deadly floods and hurricanes, last year was the most expensive in US history for natural disasters, costing $306-billion (R3.8-trillion), the government said yesterday.

The year far outpaced the previous record, in 2005, with losses of $215-billion (R2.7-trillion) largely due to Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma and Rita.

A total of 16 disasters cost $1-billion (R12.38-billion) or more, and led to at least 362 deaths, a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said.

The death toll could be substantially higher, once Puerto Rico completed its review of deaths from Hurricane Maria, experts said.

With a total price tag of $265-billion (R3.2-trillion), last year was the most expensive hurricane season on record, the report said.

The costs include estimates of both insured and uninsured losses, but are likely below the true costs because they do not include health care costs.

Hurricane Harvey, which dumped 1 270mm of rain on Texas, cost $125-billion (R1.5-trillion), second only to 2005’s Hurricane Katrina in records of billion-dollar disasters, going back to 1980.

Hurricane Maria, which flattened much of Puerto Rico, cost $90-billion (R1.1-trillion), while Hurricane Irma, which ploughed into the Caribbean and Florida, cost $50-billion (R619-billion).

“Hurricane Maria ranks as the third costliest weather and climate disaster on record for the nation and Irma ranks as the fifth costliest,” the report said.

Last year’s western wildfire season – which ravaged large parts of California – cost $18-billion (R223billion), tripling the previous US annual wildfire cost record.

NOAA said the number of billiondollar disasters – 16 – tied with 2011 for the most in a single year.

These included two floodings, one freeze, eight severe storm events, three tropical cyclones, one drought and one wildfire.

In historical context, these expensive storms are becoming far more common.

The annual average of billion-dollar storms from 1980 to last year was 5.8, NOAA said.

But in the past five years, among the warmest on record, the average has reached 11.6.

Last year was also the third warmest on record in the US, following 2012 and 2016 with the average temperature 12.2°C, 1.4°C above the 20th century average.

“The five warmest years on record all occurred since 2006,” the report said.

Every US state on the mainland and Alaska had above-average temperatures for a third year in a row.

Five states had their hottest year on record – Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and New Mexico.

A warming climate could exacerbate the frequency and severity of certain kinds of storms, including hurricanes, fires and floods, experts said.

“The long-term signal is tied with long-term warming,” Deke Arndt, monitoring chief at NOAA’s National Centres for Environmental Information, said.

However, that warming trend did not erase the likelihood of fierce winter storms.

“We live in a warming world but still have icy colds,” he said. – AFP

Hurricane Maria ranks as the third costliest weather and climate disaster on record