Extreme weather is becoming a costly issue in the United States. Last year alone, fires, droughts, and storms led to damages exceeding $182 billion. However, the federal government has announced that it will stop tracking these disasters.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revealed on Thursday that it will discontinue its widely used database, which recorded climate and weather disasters causing at least $1 billion in damages. This decision follows previous actions by the Trump administration to reduce environmental data collection.
The NOAA database has been a valuable resource. It provided real-time updates on economic losses, response costs, and business interruptions related to major disasters. Insurers and emergency managers relied on this information to understand the growing impact of climate change on communities and infrastructure.
While NOAA will still archive data from 1980 onward, it will no longer update the database for disasters that occur after December of last year. This includes significant events like the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, flooding in the Midwest and Southeast, and a tornado outbreak in March that resulted in at least 39 fatalities.
NOAA cited "evolving priorities, statutory mandates, and staffing changes" as reasons for discontinuing the program. The Trump administration had previously canceled several NOAA programs and grants, claiming they contributed to "climate anxiety."
Experts argue that demonstrating the financial impact of climate change was not the main purpose of the database. Kieran Bhatia, a hurricane researcher, noted that there is already ample evidence connecting climate change to increasing weather disasters. In fact, the U.S. recorded 27 billion-dollar disasters last year, the second-highest number ever, following 28 events in 2023.
Other organizations, such as insurance and reinsurance companies, will still provide damage estimates. However, Frank Nutter, president of the Reinsurance Association of America, emphasized that these reports cannot replace the continuous updates and engaging visuals that NOAA’s database offered.
The loss of this database is significant for insurers, as it helped raise awareness about the need for resilience in communities. When people take steps to protect their properties, it can lead to lower insurance premiums, which is a pressing issue in many markets. States like California have seen skyrocketing insurance rates, while others, including Florida, Texas, and Louisiana, have experienced the most financial losses from disasters.
Julie Kay Roberts, a former NOAA official, expressed concern that states that heavily supported Trump in the 2024 election will continue to face severe disaster impacts, even if the government no longer tracks the damage. With hurricane season approaching and predictions of above-average activity, the financial toll could begin to rise again, despite NOAA’s lack of updated records.
In summary, the decision to retire the billion-dollar disaster database raises questions about the government’s commitment to tracking and addressing the financial impacts of climate change, especially as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe.