NOAA Shelves Billion-Dollar Disaster Database: What It Means

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced it will discontinue updating its comprehensive database tracking billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the United States. This archive, a crucial resource for understanding the financial impact of severe weather events since 1980, will no longer be updated beyond the 2024 calendar year.

This decision comes as the agency navigates what it describes as “evolving priorities, statutory mandates, and staffing changes.” The database has been invaluable in measuring the direct costs associated with major weather events, pulling information from federal and state entities, as well as insurance companies. It provides critical insight into historical climate trends and helps in mapping future disaster risks across the nation.

While the existing data will remain accessible, the lack of future updates raises concerns among experts and policymakers. The most recent data reveals the alarming scale of these disasters: in a single year, 27 events caused over $182 billion in damages and resulted in 568 deaths across the U.S.

Key Highlights:

• NOAA will no longer update its billion-dollar disaster database after 2024.
• The database tracked the financial impact of major weather events in the U.S. since 1980.
• Existing data will remain accessible but not updated.
• In the last full year of data, 27 events cost over $182 billion and caused 568 deaths.

Critics argue that discontinuing the database reflects a broader trend of reducing resources dedicated to climate and environmental initiatives. This decision has sparked debate about the long-term implications for disaster preparedness and risk assessment in a changing climate.

This action follows a series of moves that have raised concerns about the prioritization of climate and environmental issues. With the database no longer being updated, the nation loses a key tool for understanding and preparing for the increasing costs of climate-related disasters.

Learn more about the impact of climate change and disaster preparedness strategies.