CNN's Ella Nilsen is reports that the United States has just surpassed the annual record number of billion dollar + weather disasters.
The United States has experienced a record-breaking number of billion-dollar weather and climate disasters this year, surpassing the previous annual record with four months left in the year, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
So far, 23 such disasters have occurred in 2023, causing 253 fatalities and $57.6 billion in damages. This figure does not include the impact of Hurricane Idalia. The increased frequency and intensity of these disasters are attributed to both climate change and the choice to build and rebuild in high-risk areas.
As disasters become more frequent, it strains resources and puts pressure on agencies like FEMA, whose disaster relief fund requires replenishment to avoid going into the red. There is a major push to invest in resilience measures to mitigate the increasing costs and impacts of extreme weather events driven by climate change.
Source: CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/11/us/billion-dollar-weather-climate-disasters-noaa/index.html
(This article was written with assistance from ChatGPT)
