2020 U.S. record for billion-dollar natural disasters

2020 U.S. record for billion-dollar natural disasters

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According to the new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data, by 2020, the United States has had a record 22 major natural disasters, each of which caused at least one billion dollars in damage analysis Published on Friday.

The total losses caused by these major hurricanes, wildfires and severe storms amounted to 95 billion U.S. dollars, making 2020 the fourth most expensive year in the United States.

Adam Smith, an applied climatologist at NOAA’s National Environmental Information Center, told BuzzFeed News: “We sound like broken records, saying that every year is a historic year, but this is true.” “We Use all adjectives to describe these extreme events.”

Part of the reason for rising costs is that people continue to move to and build houses, exposing their houses and businesses to the risk of fires, storms and floods. However, man-made climate change should also be condemned, leading to more and more extreme disasters. The wildfire season is getting longer and longer. The hurricane is getting wetter.with heavy rain More inland floods are being triggered across the United States.

In the latest signs of a worsening climate crisis, new data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service shows 2020 tied for 2016 with the hottest year on record worldwide. American scientists will publish their analysis of last year’s temperature next week.

Smith said: “Over time, for some of these extreme events, the fingerprints of climate change have become more and more obvious.”

The most expensive disaster in 2020 is Hurricane Laura, which struck the coast of Louisiana as a Category 4 storm and caused US$19 billion in damage. This is one of seven tropical cyclones that cost the United States more than US$1 billion. . Laura also claimed 42 lives, making it the deadliest storm in the United States of the year.

although 2020 is the busiest hurricane season ever in the AtlanticSmith said that the United States did not suffer greater storm-related losses because no major storms hit big cities.

Hurricanes have always been the most expensive disaster in the United States. Before 2017, there were the highest number of record-breaking disasters, 16 of which were due in part to the active hurricane season, and It still requires a record of the most expensive year, The damage caused amounted to 306 US dollars, which is largely attributable to Hurricane Harvey, Irma and Maria.

Last year was also a disastrous year for wildfires. According to NOAA, the fires in Western California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington caused a total of $16.5 billion in damage, burned more than 10.2 million acres of land, and killed 46 people. Wildfires also release a lot of air pollution, Health risks such as asthma and heart attack, Which triggers public health expenses that were not considered in the NOAA analysis.

Another costly disaster since 2020 was a heavy thunderstorm from southeastern South Dakota to Ohio, which destroyed houses and buildings. Cutting force More than 1 million people have caused a total loss of 11 billion U.S. dollars.



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