Citation
(2006), "US billion-dollar weather and climate disasters", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 15 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2006.07315dab.004
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
US billion-dollar weather and climate disasters
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Climatic Data Center has updated its list tracking US billion-dollar weather and climate disasters from 1980 to the present. Five events made the list in 2005: Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, Rita, and Dennis and the Midwest drought. Hurricane Katrina was responsible for about 1,300 deaths and a preliminary estimate of more than $100 billion in damage. Combined, preliminary figures show that the other three hurricanes claimed 166 lives with more than $20 billion in damage. The drought in the Midwest destroyed more than $1 billion in corn and soybean crops throughout Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The list is available at: www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/reports/billionz.html along with graphics and links to more extensive reports about each event.