What's happened
The first half of 2025 saw the US experience its costliest disasters on record, driven by wildfires and storms, totaling $101 billion in damages. The data, revived after federal discontinuation, highlights climate change's role in increasing extreme weather events, with warnings on the need for better monitoring and preparedness.
What's behind the headline?
The resurgence of disaster data by Climate Central underscores the escalating severity of climate-related events in the US. The record costs in 2025 reflect a clear pattern: climate change is supercharging the frequency and intensity of wildfires, storms, and floods. The LA wildfires alone, costing $61 billion, exemplify how climate-driven phenomena are reshaping disaster economics. The federal response, hampered by staffing cuts and political interference, exacerbates vulnerabilities, leaving local communities increasingly exposed. This situation signals that without significant investment in monitoring, infrastructure, and climate mitigation, the US will face even more devastating costs and loss of life. The absence of hurricanes so far this year offers a temporary reprieve, but the overall trend remains alarming, with climate change acting as a force multiplier for disasters.
What the papers say
The Independent and The Guardian both highlight the record-breaking costs of disasters in 2025, emphasizing the role of climate change. The Independent notes that damages from wildfires and storms have surged, with total costs reaching $101 billion in the first half of the year. The Guardian stresses the importance of revived data tracking, criticizing the Trump administration's decision to end NOAA's disaster monitoring, and points out that climate change is fueling more frequent and severe events. Both sources agree that federal response capacity has diminished, worsening the impact on communities. The Guardian provides additional context on the political and infrastructural challenges faced by agencies like FEMA, while The Independent offers detailed damage figures and historical comparisons, illustrating the worsening trend over decades.
How we got here
Historically, US disaster data was tracked by NOAA for nearly 40 years, showing a rise in costs and frequency of weather-related catastrophes. The Trump administration ended this tracking, but Climate Central has revived it, emphasizing the growing impact of climate change on extreme weather. The year 2025 continues this trend, with wildfires in Los Angeles and storms across the country causing unprecedented damages and fatalities, compounded by reduced federal disaster response capacity.
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is an American scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce that focuses on the conditions of the oceans, major waterways, and the atmosphere.
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Climate Central is a nonprofit news organization that analyzes and reports on climate science. Composed of scientists and science journalists, the organization conducts scientific research on climate change and energy issues, and produces multimedia conte