According to data from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States has experienced 403 weather and climate disasters since 1980, with total damages exceeding $2.915 trillion. Among these disasters, hurricanes have been particularly devastating, occupying nine of the top 10 spots on the "Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters" list.
Hurricane Katrina, which struck the U.S. in 2005, tops the list with an estimated cost of $201.3 billion. This Category 3 hurricane caused severe storm surge damage, wind damage, and the failure of parts of the levee system in New Orleans. Hurricane Harvey, the second most costly disaster on the list, hit the U.S. in 2017, causing widespread damage due to extreme rainfall and historic flooding in Houston and surrounding areas. Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in Florida in 2022 as a Category 4 hurricane, rounds out the top three with an estimated cost of $119.6 billion.
While wildfires have been a major concern, especially in California, they do not make it into the top 10 of the NCEI's list. The costliest fire listed by NCEI is the "Western Wildfires, California Firestorm" in 2018, with an estimated cost of $30 billion. The Camp fire in 2018, which resulted in 85 deaths and destroyed 18,804 structures, tops the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's list of the most destructive wildfires.
AccuWeather has estimated the damage and economic loss associated with the recent wildfires in California to be between $135 billion and $150 billion. Additionally, they estimate $13 billion to $16 billion for the 2023 Maui wildfires and $225 billion to $250 billion for 2024 Hurricane Helene.
Overall, the data highlights the significant financial impact of natural disasters in the United States, with hurricanes being the costliest events. While wildfires have been destructive, they have not reached the same levels of financial damage as hurricanes.