US hit by $7 billion weather disasters so far this year

WASHINGTON: The US has been hit by seven separate climate disasters, each with losses exceeding $1 billion, through the end of April, according to the latest climate report released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The total cost of these events, including five severe weather events, one winter storm and a flooding event, exceeded $19 billion and resulted in 97 direct and indirect fatalities, Xinhua news agency quoted the nation's premier meteorological agency as saying in its report.

"The number of billion-dollar disasters so far in 2023 is significant," the NOAA noted in a statement, adding that only 2017 and 2020 had more during this timeframe, with eight separate disasters recorded in the January-April period.

Last year, the US was struck by $18 billion weather and climate disasters totalling more than $165 billion in damage.

The country has sustained 355 weather and climate disasters since 1980 where overall damages exceeded $1 billion, with the total cost of these events exceeding $2.540 trillion.

The annual average from 1980 to 2022 is $8.1 billion events, and the annual average for the most recent five years is $18 billion events, according to the NOAA.