The 14 Costliest U.S. Weather Disasters Since 1980
Rank | Disaster | Year | Deaths | Damage* |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Hurricane Katrina (LA/MS/AL/FL) | 2005 | 1,833 | $133,800,000,000 |
2. | Midwest/Eastern U.S. Drought | 1988 | 7,500 | $71,200,000,000 |
3. | Midwest/Eastern U.S. Drought | 1980 | 10,000 | $55,400,000,000 |
4. | Hurricane Andrew (SE FL/SE LA) | 1992 | 61 | $40,000,000,000 |
5. | Midwest Flooding | 1993 | 48 | $30,200,000,000 |
6. | Hurricane Ike (TX/LA/MS) | 2008 | 112 | $27,000,000,000 |
7. | Hurricane Wilma (FL) | 2005 | 35 | $17,100,000,000 |
8. | Hurricane Rita (TX/LA) | 2005 | 119 | $17,100,000,000 |
9. | Hurricane Charley (FL) | 2004 | 35 | $16,500,000,000 |
10. | Hurricane Irene (Mid-Atlantic, New England) | 2011 | 48 | $15,800,000,000 |
11. | Hurricane Hugo (SC) | 1989 | 86 | $15,300,000,000 |
12. | Midwest Floods | 2008 | 24 | $15,000,000,000 |
13. | Hurricane Ivan (FL/AL) | 2004 | 57 | $13,000,000,000 |
14. | 30-State Drought | 2002 | 0 | $11,400,000,000 |
* - Adjusted to 2007 dollars on basis of U.S. Dept. of Commerce Implicit Price Deflator for Construction. Hurricane statistics are taken from the National Hurricane Center and adjusted to 2006 dollars.
Source: US National Climatic Data Center, Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters