The 50 Most Expensive Weather Disasters in Recent Decades
In 2020, the U.S. had a record-setting 22 climate and weather disasters totaling $1 billion in damages each. Of those, 13 were severe storms, seven were related to tropical cyclones, one to drought, and one to wildfires. The total for those 22 disasters came to $95 billion in damages. Since 1980, the U.S. alone has been hit with 285 weather and climate disasters totaling at least $1 billion each.
LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades
Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.