Natural Disasters In 2018 Cost The Nation $91 Billion In Damages

Natural disasters, fueled at least in part by climate change, cost the United States $91 billion in 2018, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A report released by the agency Wednesday revealed there were 14 weather and climate disasters costing more than $1 billion across the country last year. The bulk of the costs — about $73 billion — were linked to just three events, according to the NOAA. Hurricane Florence, which made landfall last September and slammed the Carolinas with days of rain, caused $25 billion in damages while Hurricane Michael, which devastated Florida, came with a $24 billion price tag. The “complex of western wildfires” that raged across California also cost the country around $24 billion.