Damage from natural disasters in the U.S. last year reached a record size

Damage from natural disasters in the U.S. last year reached a record size

Three major hurricanes, forest fires, hail, floods, tornadoes and drought and other natural disasters recorded in different regions of the United States, in the past year have crippled the economy, which cost broke all known historical records of the country. The amount spent on restoration works and the compensation amounted to 306 billion dollars. The previous record of 2005 was nearly 100 billion less than – 215 billion.

According to official data provided by the National oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA), last year in the US there were 16 natural disasters with damages exceeding one billion dollars. NOAA tracks weather disasters that caused damage worth billions, in 1980.

Damage from natural disasters in the U.S. last year reached a record size

If we consider the disasters of the past year in more detail, we see:

  • hurricane Harvey cost the country $ 125 billion (second in history only to hurricane Katrina in 2005);
  • hurricane Maria caused damage in the amount of $ 90 billion;
  • the damage caused by hurricane Irma, was 50 billion dollars;
  • wildfires in California cost US $ 18 billion, which is three times more expensive than any of the previous fires in history.

«While we must be careful in discussions on causality, national Academy of Sciences and a recent peer-reviewed literature continue to assert that some of today’s extremes have the fingerprints of climate change», the Professor said University of Georgia meteorology Marshall shepherd, former President of the American meteorological society.

The national weather service also said that 2017 was the third warmest year in the US according to official data. The average minimum temperature in the 48 States amounted to 54.6 ° f (12.6 ° C) by 2.6 ° C higher than the average for the 20th century. Only 2012 and 2016 have been warmer. The five warmest years in the United States was in the period since 2006.

In five States — Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and new Mexico – 2017-th year was the hottest in history.

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