Disasters can have high costs associated with responding to and recovering from them. This page lists the estimated economic costs of relatively recent disasters.
The costs of disasters vary considerably depending on a range of factors, such as the geographical location where they occur. When a large disaster occurs in a wealthy country, the financial damage may be large, but when a comparable disaster occurs in a poorer country, the actual financial damage may appear to be relatively small. This is in part due to the difficulty of measuring the financial damage in areas that lack insurance. For example, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, with a death toll of around 230,000 people, cost a 'mere' $15 billion, [1] whereas in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, in which 11 people died, the damage was six times higher.
The most expensive disaster in human history is the Chernobyl disaster, costing an estimated $700 billion. [2] Chernobyl's circumstances make it a unique but particularly devastating situation that is unlikely to ever happen again. Estimations have only increased over time, with the recent figure coming from the release of new government data up to 2016. [2] Furthermore, the cost is expected to perpetually increase for several thousand years as cleanup operations and the economic impact of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone continue indefinitely. [3] The most expensive natural disaster is the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, costing an estimated $360 billion. [4]
This table lists disasters which are estimated to have an economic cost of at least 1 billion United States dollars without taking inflation into account.
Cost ($billion) | Fatalities | Event | Type | Year | Nation(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Actual | Inflated to (2023 unless otherwise stated) | |||||
$2400 – 9000 [5] | $2400 – $9000 | 5,545,000 in 2019 | Usage of lead in gasoline and plumbing | Lead poisoning | 1920s–present | Global |
$700 [2] | $900 | 30–500 | Chernobyl disaster | Contamination (Radioactive) | 1986 | Soviet Union ( , , ) |
$360 [6] [7] [4] | $488 | 19,759 | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami + Fukushima nuclear disaster | Undersea Megathrust Earthquake, Tsunami, Contamination (Radioactive) | 2011 | Japan |
$200 [8] | $399.9 | 5,502 – 6,434 | Great Hanshin earthquake | Earthquake | 1995 | Japan |
$163.6 [9] [10] | $164 | 59,259 - 62,013 | 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake | Earthquake | 2023 | West Asia ( Turkey, Syria) |
$148 [11] | $209 | 87,587 | 2008 Sichuan earthquake | Earthquake | 2008 | China |
$125 [12] | $195 | 1,245 – 1,836 | Hurricane Katrina | Tropical cyclone | 2005 | United States |
$125 [12] | $155 | 107 | Hurricane Harvey | Tropical cyclone | 2017 | United States |
$113 [12] | $127 | 161 | Hurricane Ian | Tropical cyclone | 2022 | North America ( , , , others) |
$105 [13] [14] | $124 | 6,511 | 2020 South Asian floods | Flood | 2020 | South Asia ( , , , others) |
$91.6 [12] | $114 | 3,057 – 8,498 [15] | Hurricane Maria | Tropical cyclone | 2017 | North America ( , , , others) |
$75 [16] | $84 | 107 | Hurricane Ida | Tropical cyclone | 2021 | North America ( , , , others) |
$70 [17] | $82 | 451 | 2019–20 Australian bushfire season | Wildfire | 2019-20 | Australia |
$68.7 [12] | $91 | 233 | Hurricane Sandy | Tropical cyclone | 2012 | North America ( , , , others) |
$64.8 [12] | $81 | 134 | Hurricane Irma | Tropical cyclone | 2017 | North America ( , , , others) |
$64 [18] | $72 | 243 | 2021 European floods | Flood | 2021 | Europe ( , , , others) |
$60 – $100 [19] | $84 – $140 | 11 | Deepwater Horizon oil spill | Contamination (Oil) | 2010 | United States |
$53.25 [20] | $131 | 5,000+ | 1988–1990 North American drought | Drought | 1988-89 | United States, Canada |
$49.6 – $56.1 [21] | $65 – $73 | 104 | 2012–2013 North American drought | Drought | 2012-13 | United States, Canada |
$49 [22] | $101 | 57 | 1994 Northridge earthquake | Earthquake | 1994 | United States |
$46 [23] | $58 | 273 | 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes | Earthquake | 2016 | Japan |
$45.7 [24] | $62 | 815 | 2011 Thailand floods | Flood | 2011 | Thailand |
$40 [25] | $54 | 185 | 2011 Christchurch earthquake | Earthquake | 2011 | New Zealand |
$40 [26] | $45 | 1,700 | 2022 Pakistan floods | Flood | 2022 | Pakistan |
$38 [12] | $54 | 214 | Hurricane Ike | Tropical cyclone | 2008 | North America ( , , , others) |
$32 [27] [28] | $38 | 278 [29] | 2020 China floods | Flood | 2020 | China |
$28.4 [30] | $28.4 | 137 | Typhoon Doksuri | Tropical cyclone | 2023 | Southeast Asia ( |
$28 [31] [32] | $45 | 68 | 2004 Chūetsu earthquake | Earthquake | 2004 | Japan |
$27.4 [12] | $43 | 87 | Hurricane Wilma | Tropical cyclone | 2005 | North America ( , , , others) |
$27.3 [12] | $59.3 | 65 | Hurricane Andrew | Tropical cyclone | 1992 | United States |
$26.5 [33] | $29.8 | 237 [34] [35] [36] [37] | February 13–17, 2021 North American winter storm | Winter storm, Infrastructure failure (electric) | 2021 | North America ( , , ) |
$26.1 [12] | $42.1 | 124 | Hurricane Ivan | Tropical cyclone | 2004 | North America ( , , , others) |
$25.1 [38] | $30.5 | 74 | Hurricane Michael | Tropical cyclone | 2018 | North America ( , , , others) |
$24.0 [21] | $29.1 | 103 | 2018 California wildfires | Wildfire | 2018 | United States |
$22.3 [39] | $30.2 | 111 | 2011 Sikkim earthquake | Earthquake | 2011 | Southern Asia ( , , , others) |
$21.8 – $135 [40] | $37.5 – $232.3 | 2,996 | September 11 terrorist attacks | Terror attack | 2001 | United States |
$21.1 [41] | $22 | 4,361-20,000 | Storm Daniel | Tropical cyclone, Dam failure | 2023 | Libya, Greece |
$20 [42] | $74 | 4,900 | 1980 Irpinia earthquake | Earthquake | 1980 | Italy |
$20 [43] | $20.8 | 24,501 | 2022 European heatwaves | Heatwave | 2022 | Europe ( , , , others) |
$19.2 | $32.5 | 110 | 2002 European floods | Flood | 2002 | Central Europe ( , , , others) |
$19.1 [27] [44] | $22.5 | 77 | Hurricane Laura | Tropical cyclone | 2020 | North America ( , , , others) |
$18.6 (official estimated) [ citation needed ] | $20.9 | 398 (official confirmed) | 2021 Henan floods | Flood | 2021 | China |
$18.5 [12] | $28.9 | 97 – 125 | Hurricane Rita | Tropical cyclone | 2005 | United States |
$17.9 (official estimated) [ citation needed ] | $21.3 | 108 (official confirmed) | Typhoon Hagibis | Tropical cyclone | 2019 | Japan |
$17.6 (estimated) [45] | $17.6 (2024) | 360 | 2024 Noto earthquake | Earthquake | 2024 | Japan |
$17.6 [46] | $32.2 | 140 | Cyclone Lothar | European windstorm | 1999 | Western Europe ( , , , others) |
$16.9 [12] | $27.3 | 35 | Hurricane Charley | Tropical cyclone | 2004 | North America ( , , ) |
$16.0 [47] | $22.7 | 308 | 2009 L'Aquila earthquake | Earthquake | 2009 | Italy |
$16.0 [48] | $17 | ≥52 | Hurricane Otis | Tropical cyclone | 2023 | Mexico |
$15.8 [49] | $21 | 27 | 2012 Northern Italy earthquakes | Earthquake | 2012 | Italy |
$15.1 [50] [51] | $19.2 | 603 | Hurricane Matthew | Tropical cyclone | 2016 | North America ( , , , others) |
$15 – $20 [52] | $31.6 – $42.2 | 47 | Great Flood of 1993 | Flood | 1993 | United States |
$15.0 [53] | $35 | 197 | Cyclones Daria, Vivian, and Wiebke | European windstorm | 1990 | Western Europe ( , , , others) |
$15 [1] | $24.2 | 230,000 – 280,000 | 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami | Earthquake, Tsunami | 2004 | Southeast Asia ( , , , others) |
$15.0 [54] [55] | $18.6 | 44 | October 2017 Northern California wildfires | Wildfire | 2017 | United States |
$15 – $30 [56] | $21 – $41.9 | 525 | 2010 Chile earthquake | Earthquake | 2010 | Chile |
$15 [57] | $17.7 | 218 | 2020 Beirut explosion | Ammonium nitrate explosion | 2020 | Lebanon |
$14.2 [12] | $19.2 | 58 | Hurricane Irene | Tropical cyclone | 2011 | North America ( , , , others) |
$13 – $14 [58] [27] | $15.3 – $16.5 | 128 [59] | Cyclone Amphan | Tropical cyclone | 2020 | Eastern South Asia ( , , , others) |
$12.9 [60] | $18.3 | 138,366 | Cyclone Nargis | Tropical cyclone | 2008 | Myanmar |
$12.7 [61] | $16.3 | 130 | November 2015 Paris attacks | Terror attack | 2015 | France |
$11.5 [62] | $13.5 | 4 [62] | August 2020 Midwest derecho | Derecho | 2020 | United States |
$11 [63] | $14 | 299 | August 2016 Central Italy earthquake | Earthquake | 2016 | Italy |
$11 [64] | $11 | 17 | 2023 Emilia-Romagna floods | Flood | 2023 | Italy |
$10.4 [65] | $13.6 | 12 | Typhoon Fitow | Tropical cyclone | 2013 | China |
$10.2 [21] | $13.8 | 348 | 2011 Super Outbreak + Hackleburg–Phil Campbell and Tuscaloosa–Birmingham tornadoes | Tornado outbreak | 2011 | United States |
$10 – $15 [66] | $12.7 – $19 | 13 | 2016 Louisiana floods | Flood | 2016 | United States |
$10 [21] | $37 | 1,700 – 10,000 | 1980 United States heat wave | Drought | 1980 | United States |
$10 [67] | $22.4 | 64 | Typhoon Mireille | Tropical cyclone | 1991 | Japan |
$10 [68] | $12.9 | 8,964 | April 2015 Nepal earthquake | Earthquake | 2015 | Nepal |
$10 [53] | $14.7 | 44 | Cyclone Kyrill | European windstorm | 2007 | Western Europe ( , , , others) |
$10 [21] | $14.2 | 16 | June 2008 Midwest floods | Flood | 2008 | United States |
$10 [21] | $53.5 | 242,419-655,000 | 1976 Tangshan earthquake | Earthquake | 1976 | China |
$9.9 [69] | $12.7 | 615-727 | 2014 Ludian earthquake | Earthquake | 2014 | China |
$9.86 (official estimated) [ citation needed ] | $11.8 | 238 (official confirmed) | 2018 Japan floods | Flood | 2018 | Japan |
$9.8 [12] [70] [71] [72] | $15.8 | 50 | Hurricane Frances | Tropical cyclone | 2004 | North America ( , ) |
$9.5 [12] | $23.4 | 60 | Hurricane Hugo | Tropical cyclone | 1989 | North America ( , , , others) |
$9.5 [73] [74] | $12.1 | 2 | 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire | Wildfire | 2016 | Canada |
$9.4 [12] | $17.6 | 604 | Hurricane Georges | Tropical cyclone | 1998 | North America ( , , , others) |
$9 [75] | $14.5 | 28 | Typhoon Songda | Tropical cyclone | 2004 | Japan |
$8.8 [76] | $9.2 | 4 | 2022 Fukushima earthquake | Earthquake | 2022 | Japan |
$8.5 [77] | $15.5 | 17,127-18,373 | 1999 İzmit earthquake | Earthquake | 1999 | Turkey |
$8.5 [12] | $14.6 | 55 | Tropical Storm Allison | Tropical cyclone | 2001 | United States |
$8.4 [78] | $8.4 | 11 | Cyclone Gabrielle | Tropical cyclone | 2023 | New Zealand |
$8.3 [12] | $11.7 | 153 | Hurricane Gustav | Tropical cyclone | 2008 | North America ( , , , others) |
$8.1 – $14 [79] [80] | $11.3 – $19.6 | 100,000 – 220,000 | 2010 Haiti earthquake | Earthquake | 2010 | Haiti |
$8 [81] | $18.7 | 45,000 | 1990 Manjil–Rudbar earthquake | Earthquake | 1990 | Iran |
$7.9 [12] | $12.7 | 3,035 | Hurricane Jeanne | Tropical cyclone | 2004 | North America ( , , , others) |
$7.9 [27] | $9.3 | 211 | Hurricane Eta | Tropical cyclone | 2020 | North America ( , , , others) |
$7.8 [82] | $7.8 (2024) | 84+ | Cyclone Remal | Tropical cyclone | 2024 | Southern Asia ( , , ) |
$7.6 [83] | $7.6 | 7 | 2023 Slovenia floods | Flood | 2023 | Julian Alps ( , , ) |
$7.5 [84] | $12.9 | 20,023 | 2001 Gujarat earthquake | Earthquake | 2001 | India, Pakistan |
$7.3 [62] | $8.6 | 5 [62] | Hurricane Sally | Tropical cyclone | 2020 | United States |
$7.3 [85] | $7.3 | 31 | Tornado outbreak sequence of May 19–27, 2024 | Tornado outbreak | 2024 | United States |
$7.13 [86] | $9.2 | 196 | Typhoon Rammasun | Tropical cyclone | 2014 | Southeast Asia ( , , , others) |
$7 [87] | $7 | 2,960 | 2023 Al Haouz earthquake | Earthquake | 2023 | Morocco |
$7 [88] | $17.2 | 0 | Exxon Valdez oil spill | Contamination (Oil) | 1989 | North America ( , ) |
$6.5 [12] | $11.9 | 74 | Hurricane Floyd | Tropical cyclone | 1999 | North America ( , , ) |
$6.5 [89] | $9.6 | 13 | 2007 United Kingdom floods | Flood | 2007 | United Kingdom |
$6.4 [90] | $10.6 | 7 | Space Shuttle Columbia disaster | Space flight accident | 2003 | United States |
$6.3 [17] | $8.9 | 173 | Black Saturday bushfires | Wildfire | 2009 | Australia |
$6.2 [91] | $7.7 | 630 | 2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake | Earthquake | 2017 | Iran, Iraq |
$6.2 [92] | $8.8 | 789 | Typhoon Morakot | Tropical cyclone | 2009 | Southeast Asia ( , , , others) |
$6.2 [93] | $6.2 (2024) | 70 | Hurricane Beryl | Tropical cyclone | 2024 | Caribbean basin ( , , , , others) |
$6.1 [12] | $11.4 | 11,374+ | Hurricane Mitch | Tropical cyclone | 1998 | North America ( , , , others) |
$6.1 [53] | $8.5 | 75 | Cyclone Xynthia | European windstorm | 2010 | Western Europe ( , , , others) |
$6.1 [94] | $7.2 | 7 | 2020 Petrinja earthquake | Earthquake | 2020 | Balkans ( , , , others) |
$6.1 [85] | $6.1 | 6 | Tornado outbreak of May 6–10, 2024 | Tornado outbreak | 2024 | United States |
$6 [95] | $10.6 | 75 | Typhoon Prapiroon | Tropical cyclone | 2000 | Northeast Asia ( , , , others) |
$6 [96] | $9.9 | 11 | Northeast blackout of 2003 | Infrastructure failure (electric) | 2003 | United States, Canada |
$6 [53] | $8.5 | 26 | Cyclone Klaus | European windstorm | 2009 | Southeastern Europe ( , , , others) |
$6 [97] | $7.8 | 5 | 2013 Alberta floods | Flood | 2013 | Canada |
$5.7 [98] | $6 | 33 | Tornado outbreak of March 31–April 1, 2023 | Tornado outbreak | 2023 | United States |
$5.5 [53] | $8.6 | 24 | Cyclone Gudrun | European windstorm | 2005 | North Europe ( , , , others) |
$5.5 [12] | $9.1 | 51 | Hurricane Isabel | Tropical cyclone | 2003 | United States |
$5.5 [99] | $11.6 | 270 [99] | 1993 Storm of the Century | Winter storm | 1993 | United States |
$5.5 [100] | $5.5 | 102 | 2023 Hawaii wildfires | Wildfire | 2023 | United States |
$5.2 [101] | $8.1 | 86,000 – 87,351 | 2005 Kashmir earthquake | Earthquake | 2005 | Pakistan , India |
$5.2 [102] | 19.2 | 5,000 | 1980 El Asnam earthquake | Earthquake | 1980 | Algeria |
$5.1 [103] [104] [105] | $6.1 | 84 [104] [105] | Hurricane Dorian | Tropical cyclone | 2019 | North America ( , , , others) |
$5 [106] | $14.2 | 10,000 – 35,000 | 1985 Mexico City earthquake | Earthquake | 1985 | Mexico |
$5 [107] | $9.7 | 284 – 590 | Typhoon Herb | Tropical cyclone | 1996 | East Asia ( , , ) |
$5 [42] | $8.3 | 2,266 | 2003 Boumerdès earthquake | Earthquake | 2003 | Algeria |
$5 [108] | $6 | 5 [108] | Tropical Storm Imelda | Tropical cyclone | 2019 | United States |
$4.7 [12] | $9.4 | 63 | Hurricane Opal | Tropical cyclone | 1995 | North America ( , , , others) |
$4.6 [109] [110] [111] | $6 | 6,329 – 7,403 | Typhoon Haiyan | Tropical cyclone | 2013 | Southeast Asia ( , , , others) |
$4.5 [112] | $8.5 | 114 | 1997 Central European flood | Flood | 1997 | Central Europe |
$4.4 [113] | $6.5 | 78 | Cyclone Gonu | Tropical cyclone | 2007 | Oman |
$4.2 [114] | $7.7 | 143 | 1999 Athens earthquake | Earthquake | 1999 | Greece |
$4.2 [115] | $5.5 | 123 | Hurricane Manuel | Tropical cyclone | 2013 | Mexico |
$4.1 [21] | $6.8 | 42 | Tornado outbreak sequence of May 2003 | Tornado | 2003 | United States |
$4 [53] | $10.7 | 22 | Great Storm of 1987 | European windstorm | 1987 | Western Europe ( , , , others) |
$4 [116] | $5 | 98 | 2017 Chiapas earthquake | Earthquake | 2017 | Mexico, Guatemala |
$3.9 [117] | $6.1 | 1,673 | Hurricane Stan | Tropical cyclone | 2005 | Central America ( , , , others) |
$3.9 [118] | $4.4 | 90 | Tornado outbreak of December 10–11, 2021 | Tornado | 2021 | United States |
$3.7 [119] | $3.7 (2024) | 181 | 2024 Rio Grande do Sul floods | Flood | 2024 | Brazil, Uruguay |
$3.6 [120] | $4.6 | 7 | Cyclone Yasi | Tropical cyclone | 2011 | Australia |
$3.2 [121] | $8.9 | 7 [122] | Space Shuttle Challenger disaster | Space flight accident | 1986 | United States |
$3.1 [12] | $6.7 | 6 | Hurricane Iniki | Tropical cyclone | 1992 | United States |
$3.1 [123] | $4.7 | 5,749 | 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake | Earthquake | 2006 | Indonesia |
$3.1 [124] | $3.6 | 4 | 2019–20 Puerto Rico earthquakes | Earthquake | 2020 | Puerto Rico |
$3.0 [12] | $7.7 | 318 | Hurricane Gilbert | Tropical cyclone | 1988 | North America ( , , , others) |
$3 [125] | $3.8 | 676 | 2016 Ecuador earthquake | Earthquake | 2016 | Latin America ( , , |
$2.9 [21] | $3.8 | 22 | June 2012 North American derecho | Derecho | 2012 | United States |
$2.9 [21] | $3.5 | 3 | 2019 Midwestern U.S. floods | Flood | 2019 | United States |
$2.8 [126] | $3.8 | 158 | 2011 Joplin tornado | Tornado | 2011 | United States |
$2.68 [127] | $4.6 | 29 | AZF chemical plant explosion | Explosion | 2001 | France |
$2.5 [21] | $3 | 8 | Tornado outbreak sequence of May 2019 | Tornado | 2019 | United States |
$2.5 [21] | $3.1 | 2 | 2017 Montana wildfires | Drought, Wildfire | 2017 | United States |
$2.5 [21] | $3.1 | 0 | 2017 Minneapolis hailstorm | Hailstorm | 2017 | United States |
$2.3 [128] | $3.4 | 15,000 | Cyclone Sidr | Tropical cyclone | 2007 | Southern Asia ( , , , others) |
$2.2 [21] | $2.7 | 0 | 2017 Denver hailstorm | Hailstorm | 2017 | United States |
$2.2 [129] | $3 | 642 | 2011 Van earthquakes | Earthquake | 2011 | Turkey |
$2.2 [130] | $2.2 | 463-564 | Cyclone Mocha | Tropical cyclone | 2023 | Southern Asia ( , , , , others) |
$2.1 [21] | $2.6 | 0 | Tornado outbreak of March 6–7, 2017 | Tornado | 2017 | United States |
$2 [131] | $2.7 | 33 | Costa Concordia disaster | Maritime disaster | 2012 | Italy |
$2 – $4 [132] | $2.5 – $5 | 370 | 2017 Central Mexico earthquake | Earthquake | 2017 | Mexico |
$2 [133] | $2 (2024) | 46 | 2024 Persian Gulf floods | Flood | 2024 | Persian Gulf basin ( , , , others) |
$2 [134] | $2 (2024) | 10 | Hurricane Debby | Tropical cyclone | 2024 | North America and Antiles ( , , , others) |
$2 [135] | $2.6 | 26 | 2013 Moore tornado | Tornado | 2013 | United States |
$1.8 [136] | $11.1 | 8,210 | Hurricane Fifi–Orlene | Tropical cyclone | 1974 | Central America ( , , , others) |
$1.8 [137] | $2.4 | 36 [137] | 2011 Groundhog Day blizzard | Winter storm | 2011 | North America ( , , ) |
$1.7 [138] | $5.8 | 165 | Piper Alpha explosion | Explosion (oil rig) | 1988 | United Kingdom |
$1.6 [139] | $2.8 | 1,259 | 2001 El Salvador earthquakes | Earthquake | 2001 | Latin America ( , , |
$1.6 [140] | $1.8 | 2,248 | 2021 Haiti earthquake | Earthquake | 2021 | Haiti |
$1.56 [141] | $1.8 | 41 | 2020 Elazığ earthquake | Earthquake | 2020 | Turkey |
$1.55 [142] | $1.8 | 0 | 2019 Dallas tornado | Tornado | 2019 | United States |
$1.5 [143] | $2.5 | 34,000 | 2003 Bam earthquake | Earthquake | 2003 | Iran |
$1.418 [144] [145] | $1.7 | 5 | 2020 Nashville tornado | Tornado | 2020 | United States |
$1.4 [146] | $1.8 | 44 | Cyclone Winston | Tropical cyclone | 2016 | Fiji |
$1.3 [147] | $1.5 | 1 | 2021 Fukushima earthquake | Earthquake | 2021 | Japan |
$1.3 [148] | $2.7 | 9,748 | 1993 Latur earthquake | Earthquake | 1993 | India |
$1.24 – $2 [149] | $2.1 – $3.3 | 15 | Cedar Fire | Wildfire | 2003 | United States |
$1.2 – $1.4 [150] [27] [151] | $1.4 – $1.6 | 0 | 2020 Calgary hailstorm | Hailstorm | 2020 | Canada |
$1.217 [152] | $11.8 | 266 | 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak | Tornado outbreak | 1965 | United States |
$1.2 [85] | $1.2 | 8 | 2024 Houston derecho | Derecho | 2024 | United States |
$1.1 [153] | $1.5 | 1,901 | Typhoon Bopha | Tropical cyclone | 2012 | Philippines |
$1.1 [154] | $4.6 | 0 | Three Mile Island accident | Contamination (Radiation) | 1979 | United States |
$1.1 [155] | $4.1 | 57 | 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens | Volcano eruption, Subsequent landslides and mudslides | 1980 | United States |
$1.1 [156] | $1.1 | 0 | East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment | Contamination (Hazardous materials) | 2023 | United States |
$1.08 (official estimated) [ citation needed ] | $1.4 | 173 (official confirmed) | 2015 Tianjin explosions | Explosion | 2015 | China |
$1.07 (official estimated) [ citation needed ] | $11.2 | 5,098 (official confirmed) | Typhoon Vera | Tropical cyclone | 1959 | Japan |
$1 [157] | $5.4 | 23,000 | 1976 Guatemala earthquake | Earthquake | 1976 | Guatemala, Belize |
$1 [158] | $1.4 | 921 | Typhoon Ketsana | Tropical cyclone | 2009 | Southeast Asia ( , , , ) |
$1 [159] | $2.8 | 22,540 | Armero tragedy | Volcano eruption, Mudslides | 1985 | Colombia |
$1 | $1.1 | 98 | Surfside condominium collapse | Structure failure | 2021 | United States |
$1 [160] | $4.7 | 50 | 1978 Thessaloniki earthquake | Earthquake | 1978 | Greece, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria |
$1 [161] | $2.7 | 1,000-5,000 | 1987 Ecuador earthquakes | Earthquake | 1987 | Ecuador |
$1 [162] | $1.8 | 845-894 | 1999 Düzce earthquake | Earthquake | 1999 | Turkey |
$1 [135] | $1.8 | 41 | 1999 Bridge Creek–Moore tornado | Tornado | 1999 | United States |
This table lists notable disasters which are estimated to have an economic cost of less than 1 billion United States dollars without taking inflation into account. This includes historical disasters, such as the Great Chicago Fire, which would surpass the value of $1 billion in modern currency.
Note: All damage figures are listed in millions of United States dollars.
Cost | Fatalities | Event | Type | Year | Nation | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
$Million | $Million (2023) | |||||
$935 [163] [164] | $1223 | 3 | 2013 Washington, Illinois tornado | Tornado | 2013 | United States |
$922 [165] | $1171 | 14 | 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires | Wildfire | 2016 | United States |
$910 (official estimated)[ citation needed ] | $1104 | 5007 (official confirmed) | 2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami | Earthquake and tsunami | 2018 | Indonesia |
$500 – $600 [166] | $3089 – $3707 | 71 | Cyclone Tracy | Tropical cyclone | 1974 | Australia |
$700 [167] | $1566 | 800 | 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption | Volcano | 1991 | Philippines |
$700 [168] | $948 | 1 | 2011 Slave Lake wildfire | Wildfire | 2011 | Canada |
$600 [169] | $3707 | 335 | 1974 Super Outbreak + Xenia tornado | Tornado outbreak | 1974 | United States and Canada |
$483 [170] [171] [172] - $543 [173] | $710 - 798 | 13 | I-35W Mississippi River Bridge collapse | Structure failure | 2007 | United States |
$500 [174] | $1466 | 17 | 1984 Romeoville petroleum refinery disaster | Explosion | 1984 | United States |
$370 [175] | $719 | 0 | Ariane 5 Flight 501 | Space flight accident | 1996 | French Guiana |
$350 [176] | $1760 | 1 | New York City blackout of 1977 | Infrastructure failure (electric) | 1977 | United States |
$328 [177] | $600 | 0 | Mars Climate Orbiter & Mars Polar Lander | Space flight accident | 1999 | United States |
$273 [178] | $347 | 0 | Hitomi breakup | Space flight accident | 2016 | Japan |
$222 [179] | $5646 | 300 | Great Chicago Fire | Fire | 1871 | United States |
$118 [180] | $184 | 0 | CryoSat-1 | Space flight accident | 2005 | Russia |
$25 [181] [182] | $789.3 | 1,490 – 1,635 | Sinking of the Titanic | Shipwreck | 1912 | United Kingdom |
$18.1 [183] | $182 | 0 | Mariner 1 | Space flight accident | 1962 | United States |
$250 [184] [145] | $2847 | 90 | 1953 Worcester tornado | Tornado | 1953 | United States |
A natural disaster is the very harmful impact on a society or community after a natural hazard event. Some examples of natural hazard events include avalanches, droughts, earthquakes, floods, heat waves, landslides, tropical cyclones, volcanic activity and wildfires. Additional natural hazards include blizzards, dust storms, firestorms, hails, ice storms, sinkholes, thunderstorms, tornadoes and tsunamis. A natural disaster can cause loss of life or damage property. It typically causes economic damage. How bad the damage is depends on how well people are prepared for disasters and how strong the buildings, roads, and other structures are. Scholars have been saying that the term natural disaster is unsuitable and should be abandoned. Instead, the simpler term disaster could be used. At the same time the type of hazard would be specified. A disaster happens when a natural or human-made hazard impacts a vulnerable community. It results from the combination of the hazard and the exposure of a vulnerable society.
Extreme weather includes unexpected, unusual, severe, or unseasonal weather; weather at the extremes of the historical distribution—the range that has been seen in the past. Extreme events are based on a location's recorded weather history. They are defined as lying in the most unusual ten percent. The main types of extreme weather include heat waves, cold waves and heavy precipitation or storm events, such as tropical cyclones. The effects of extreme weather events are economic costs, loss of human lives, droughts, floods, landslides. Severe weather is a particular type of extreme weather which poses risks to life and property.
The environment of the United States comprises diverse biotas, climates, and geologies. This diversity leads to a number of different distinct regions and geographies in which human communities live. This includes a rich variety of species of animals, fungi, plants and other organisms.
Environmental issues in the United States include climate change, energy, species conservation, invasive species, deforestation, mining, nuclear accidents, pesticides, pollution, waste and over-population. Despite taking hundreds of measures, the rate of environmental issues is increasing rapidly instead of reducing. The United States is among the most significant emitters of greenhouse gasses in the world. In terms of both total and per capita emissions, it is among the largest contributors. The climate policy of the United States has a major influence on the world.
The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) is a U.S. government agency that manages one of the world's largest archives of atmospheric, coastal, geophysical, and oceanic data. The current director is Derek Arndt.
Potential Tropical Cyclone Ten was a damaging storm that was the tenth tropical disturbance designated by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) during the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season. The disturbance was deemed to have a very high chance of becoming a tropical cyclone while posing a threat to populated areas and was designated a "Potential Tropical Cyclone". The storm caused flooding and brought tropical storm-force winds to parts of the Southeastern United States and the Mid-Atlantic states, particularly Florida and the Carolinas, before going on to affect parts of Atlantic Canada. Potential Tropical Cyclone Ten was the tenth storm that had advisories issued on it by the NHC in 2017, and the only such system that failed to fully develop into a tropical cyclone during that Atlantic hurricane season. Potential Tropical Cyclone Ten originated from a tropical wave that moved off the coast of West Africa on August 13. The disturbance slowly tracked its way westward across the Atlantic Ocean, before reaching Florida in late August. The disturbance came close to developing into a tropical storm while it was situated off the coast of the Carolinas; however, strong wind shear and outflow from Hurricane Harvey prevented the storm from organizing into a tropical cyclone. The system transitioned into an extratropical cyclone instead, and became a strong hurricane-force low to the south of Newfoundland, before being absorbed by another extratropical system near Iceland on September 3.
Tropical Storm Imelda was a tropical cyclone which was the fourth-wettest storm on record in the U.S. state of Texas, causing devastating and record-breaking floods in southeast Texas. The eleventh tropical cyclone and ninth named storm of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season, Imelda formed out of an upper-level low that developed in the Gulf of Mexico and moved westward. Little development occurred until the system was near the Texas coastline, where it rapidly developed into a tropical storm before moving ashore shortly afterward on September 17. Imelda weakened after landfall, but continued bringing large amounts of flooding rain to Texas and Louisiana, before dissipating on September 21.
The following is a list of weather events that occurred on Earth in the year 2020.
The August 2020 Midwest derecho was a powerful derecho affecting the Midwestern United States on August 10–11, 2020, primarily eastern Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. It caused high winds and spawned an outbreak of weak tornadoes. Some areas reported torrential rain and large hail.
Tropical cyclones regularly affect the coastlines of most of Earth's major bodies of water along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Also known as hurricanes, typhoons, or other names, tropical cyclones have caused significant destruction and loss of human life, resulting in about 2 million deaths since the 19th century. Powerful cyclones that make landfall – moving from the ocean to over land – are some of the most impactful, although that is not always the case. An average of 86 tropical cyclones of tropical storm intensity form annually worldwide, with 47 reaching hurricane/typhoon strength, and 20 becoming intense tropical cyclones, super typhoons, or major hurricanes.
Hurricane Zeta was a late-season major hurricane in 2020 that made landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula and then in southeastern Louisiana, the latest on record to do so at such strength in the United States. Zeta was the record-tying sixth hurricane of the year to make landfall in the United States. The twenty-seventh named storm, twelfth hurricane and fifth major hurricane of the extremely active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, Zeta formed from a broad area of low pressure that formed in the western Caribbean Sea on October 19. After battling wind shear, the quasi-stationary low organized into Tropical Depression Twenty-Eight on October 24. The system strengthened into Tropical Storm Zeta early on October 25 before becoming a hurricane the next day as it began to move northwestward. Hurricane Zeta made landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula late on October 26 and weakened while inland to a tropical storm, before moving off the northern coast of the peninsula on October 27. After weakening due to dry air entrainment, Zeta reorganized and became a hurricane again, and eventually a Category 2 hurricane, as it turned northeastward approaching the United States Gulf Coast on October 28. It continued to strengthen until it reached its peak intensity as a major Category 3 hurricane with 115-mile-per-hour (185 km/h) sustained winds and a minimum pressure of 970 mbar (28.64 inHg) as it made landfall at Cocodrie, Louisiana, that evening. Zeta continued on through Mississippi and parts of Alabama with hurricane-force winds. Zeta gradually weakened as it accelerated northeastward, and became post-tropical on October 29, as it moved through central Virginia, dissipating shortly afterwards off the coast of New Jersey. After bringing accumulating snow to parts of New England, the extratropical low-pressure system carrying Zeta's remnant energy impacted the United Kingdom on November 1 and 2.
This article documents events, research findings, scientific and technological advances, and human actions to measure, predict, mitigate, and adapt to the effects of global warming and climate change—during the year 2020.
The following is a list of weather events that occurred in 2021. The year began with La Niña conditions. There were several natural disasters around the world from various types of weather, including blizzards, cold waves, droughts, heat waves, tornadoes, and tropical cyclones. In December, powerful Typhoon Rai moved through the southern Philippines, killing 410 people and becoming the deadliest single weather event of the year. The costliest event of the year, and the costliest natural disaster on record in the United States, was from a North American cold wave in February 2021, which caused $196.4 billion (USD) in damage; the freezing temperatures and widespread power outages in Texas killed hundreds of people. Another significant natural disaster was Hurricane Ida, which struck southeastern Louisiana and later flooded the Northeastern United States, resulting in $70 billion (USD) in damage. December saw two record-breaking tornado outbreaks, only four days apart from each other. In Europe, the European Severe Storms Laboratory documented 1,482 weather-related injuries and 568 weather-related fatalities. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration documented 796 weather-related fatalities and at least 1,327 weather-related injuries in the United States and the territories of the United States.
The following is a list of weather events that occurred in 2018.
The following is a list of weather events that occurred on Earth in the year 2004. There were several natural disasters around the world from various types of weather, including blizzards, cold waves, droughts, heat waves, tornadoes, and tropical cyclones. The deadliest disaster was Hurricane Jeanne, which killed more than 3,000 people when it struck Hispaniola, mostly in Haiti. This was just four months after flooding in Hispaniola killed 2,665 people. Jeanne was also the fourth hurricane to strike the United States in the year, following Charley, Frances, and Ivan. Ivan was the costliest natural disaster of the year, causing US$26.1 billion in damage in the Caribbean and the United States.
The following is a list of weather events that occurred on Earth in the year 2001. There were several natural disasters around the world from various types of weather, including tornadoes, floods and tropical cyclones. The deadliest disaster was Typhoon Lingling in November, which caused 379 fatalities. The costliest event of the year was Hurricane Michelle, which caused $2.43 billion in damages.
The following is a list of weather events that occurred on Earth in the year 2000. There were several natural disasters around the world from various types of weather, including floods, droughts, heat waves, tornadoes, and tropical cyclones. The deadliest disaster were the 2000 Mozambique Floods which killed 800 people, and the costliest event of the year was Typhoon Saomai, which caused $6.3 billion in damages.
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