Smoke darkened Los Angeles skies as flames tore through neighborhoods in January 2025. Sirens echoed, evacuation orders stacked by the hour, and entire blocks vanished in days. This wasn’t a once-in-a-generation catastrophe—it was one of many.
By year’s end, the U.S. would log 23 billion-dollar weather disasters, averaging one every 10 days, killing 276 people and causing $115 billion in damage. What unfolded next shocked even disaster experts.
Relentless Pace
In 2025, billion-dollar disasters struck with unprecedented speed. On average, the nation barely had 10 days between catastrophes—storms, fires, floods, and tornadoes stacking before communities could recover. Entire regions cycled from cleanup to evacuation repeatedly.
Compared to the 1980s, when disasters were separated by 82 days, this represented an eightfold acceleration, redefining what “normal” disaster frequency looks like in America.
Tracking the Legacy
Since 1980, the U.S. has endured 426 billion-dollar disasters, costing $3.1 trillion and killing 17,194 people. NOAA’s tracking system became the gold standard for insurers, emergency planners, and governments measuring risk.
Yet in May 2025, at the very moment disasters surged to record levels, the Trump administration halted NOAA’s updates, citing shifting federal priorities. The timing raised immediate concern among scientists and first responders.
Data Handover
Facing mounting climate losses, Climate Central stepped in during October 2025 to preserve the dataset. The nonprofit rehired Adam Smith, NOAA’s former lead disaster economist, to continue tracking billion-dollar events adjusted for inflation.
As climate change intensified extremes, uninterrupted records became essential for understanding risk, insurance exposure, and long-term planning. Without consistent data, policymakers warned, communities would be navigating disasters blind.
Record Toll Revealed
Climate Central confirmed 23 billion-dollar weather disasters in 2025, killing 276 people and causing $115 billion in damages. That made 2025 the third-worst year on record, trailing only 2023 and 2024.
Severe storms dominated, accounting for 21 of the 23 events—the most ever recorded in a single year. On average, each disaster caused roughly $5 billion in damage nationwide.
Wildfire Epicenter
From January 7–28, 2025, Los Angeles endured the costliest wildfire in U.S. history. The fires caused $61.2 billion in damage, destroyed 16,000+ homes and businesses, and forced 200,000+ evacuations.
Hot, dry winds accelerated flames through dense wildland-urban zones, overwhelming firefighters. The toll eclipsed previous wildfire records by nearly double, marking a turning point in urban fire risk.
Tornado Devastation
Between March 14–16, a massive tornado outbreak unleashed 180+ tornadoes across central, southeastern, and eastern states. The storms killed 43 people and caused $11 billion in damage.
Just two months later, a May 15–17 outbreak added $6.3 billion more, killing 29 and knocking out power to 600,000+ customers. Entire towns were flattened before warning systems could catch up.
Insurance Strain
Insurers increasingly described 2025 as “the new normal.” With disasters arriving relentlessly, companies warned of premium hikes, coverage pullbacks, and regional exits.
Supply chains also suffered: Southern agriculture faced repeated storm losses, while Midwest manufacturers endured shutdowns from flooding and power outages. As federal disaster tracking paused, insurers leaned heavily on nonprofit data to recalibrate risk.
Climate Amplifier
Warmer Gulf waters fueled heavier rainfall across the South, while Western heat intensified drought and wildfire risk. Since the 1980s, the average gap between billion-dollar disasters shrank from 82 days to just 16, hitting 10 days in 2025.
At the same time, population growth in fire-prone regions dramatically raised costs. Climate change didn’t act alone—it amplified exposure already built into modern development.
Storms Record Shattered
A record 21 billion-dollar severe storms defined 2025, accounting for 91% of all disasters. Hailstorms battered Texas and Colorado, while flash flooding struck multiple regions.
Notably absent were major hurricane landfalls, due to a rare atmospheric pattern shielding the Southeast. Experts warned that without this anomaly, total damages could have exceeded $200 billion.
Expert Alarm
Adam Smith criticized NOAA’s decision to halt disaster tracking in May 2025, stressing that the data demonstrates the economic impact necessary for decision-making. Emergency managers and researchers echoed the concern.
As extreme events escalated, the absence of official tracking tools sparked debate over federal responsibility during a climate-driven crisis.
Leadership Pivot
Climate Central formally hired Adam Smith to lead the revived disaster database, ensuring continuity after NOAA’s withdrawal. Smith emphasized that current estimates still understate real losses.
Indirect impacts like long-term health effects from wildfire smoke remain largely uncounted. The federal decision effectively shifted responsibility for climate damage accounting to nonprofits.
Rebuild Efforts
Recovery unfolded unevenly. Federal aid flowed to tornado-stricken states, while Los Angeles survivors faced prolonged displacement and mental health trauma from smoke exposure.
States expanded mitigation efforts: California widened firebreaks, and Midwestern utilities hardened grids. Meanwhile, insurers updated catastrophe models as communities rebuilt under looming threat.
Skeptical Outlook
Experts caution that 2025’s totals are conservative. Many deaths from smoke exposure and mental health stress go uncounted in official disaster tallies.
The absence of major hurricanes masked the year’s full destructive potential; analysts estimate damages could have reached $215 billion. With oceans at record heat, disaster frequency is unlikely to slow.
Horizon Warning
Could 2026 surpass 2025? Climate Central plans database upgrades to reassess past events and track emerging risks.
Warmer seas raise the likelihood of rapidly intensifying hurricanes, while inland flooding and heat-driven drought expand disaster categories, exposing preparedness gaps nationwide.
Policy Fallout
NOAA’s tracking halt deepened partisan divides. Democrats introduced bills to restore federal disaster monitoring, while Republicans emphasized budget constraints.
The standoff complicated long-term risk planning during the 15th consecutive year of above-average disasters, leaving communities without a unified national strategy.
Global Echoes
Globally, weather disasters caused $220 billion in losses during 2025. U.S. extremes mirrored deadly floods and cyclones elsewhere.
In the Caribbean, Hurricane Melissa’s rapid intensification offered a preview of future Atlantic threats, underscoring how climate-amplified disasters cross borders.
Eco Legal Battles
The Los Angeles fires triggered lawsuits alleging utility negligence, while Western drought intensified water-rights conflicts.
As development pushes deeper into fire-prone landscapes, environmental regulations faced renewed scrutiny, turning courts into battlegrounds over climate risk responsibility.
Societal Shift
Public attitudes hardened in 2025. Younger generations, shaken by 276 deaths and back-to-back disasters, demanded stronger climate action.
Repeated emergencies fueled disaster fatigue but also strengthened mutual-aid networks, as communities redefined preparedness as ongoing survival.
New Normal Dawns
With 23 billion-dollar disasters in a single year, 2025 confirmed a stark reality: extreme weather is now routine.
As intervals shrink and costs soar, rebuilding smarter is no longer optional. Climate change’s toll is accelerating, raising urgent questions about how fast resilience can keep pace.
Sources:
LAist/Grist, “In 2025, the US suffered a billion-dollar disaster every 10 days”, January 2026
Earth.org, “2025 Third-Highest Year for Billion-Dollar Climate Disasters in US”, January 2026
ABC News, “The US experienced nearly two dozen billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2025”, January 7, 2026
Climate Central, “Now at Climate Central: U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters”, October 2025