Now at Climate Central: U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters – Climate Central

Report on U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters and Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

This report details the continuation of the U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database under the stewardship of Climate Central and analyzes recent data through June 2025. The findings indicate an unprecedented increase in the frequency and cost of extreme weather events, posing significant challenges to the achievement of multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 1 (No Poverty). In the first six months of 2025 alone, 14 separate billion-dollar disasters have resulted in costs exceeding $101.4 billion, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced climate resilience and mitigation strategies.

Background and Significance for Sustainable Development

Continuation of a Critical Data Resource

Following the cessation of operations by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in May 2025, Climate Central has assumed responsibility for the U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database. This initiative ensures the continued public availability of a vital resource used for research, risk assessment, and policy-making. The continuation of this project, led by its original lead scientist, represents a crucial partnership (SDG 17) to maintain data continuity for climate adaptation and resilience planning.

• The database provides a comprehensive archive of events from 1980 through June 2025.
• Climate Central will maintain the established peer-reviewed methodologies.
• Regular updates and a full review of 2025 disasters are planned for release in early 2026.

Alignment with SDG 13: Climate Action

The data on escalating weather and climate disasters provides direct evidence of the impacts of climate change, reinforcing the urgency of SDG 13. By quantifying the economic consequences of inaction, the database serves as a critical tool for raising awareness and informing national strategies to combat climate change and its impacts. Tracking these events is fundamental to strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards (Target 13.1).

Analysis of 2025 Billion-Dollar Disasters (January – June)

Key Findings and Economic Impact

The first six months of 2025 have been the costliest start to any year on record, driven by a high frequency of severe weather events and a catastrophic wildfire.

• Total Events: 14 separate billion-dollar disasters were recorded.
• Total Cost: The cumulative cost reached $101.4 billion.
• Event Frequency: The number of events is significantly above the long-term annual average of nine.
• Costliest Event: The Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025 caused damage exceeding $60 billion, making it the most expensive wildfire event on record.

Implications for SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The scale of these disasters directly undermines progress toward SDG 11. The destruction of homes, infrastructure, and businesses threatens the safety and sustainability of human settlements. The record-breaking costs highlight the increasing vulnerability of urban and rural areas to climate-related hazards. This trend calls for urgent investment in resilient infrastructure and integrated disaster risk reduction strategies (Target 11.5) to protect communities and economic assets.

Long-Term Trends and Their Impact on SDGs

Escalating Frequency and Costs

Analysis of data since 1980 reveals a dramatic and sustained increase in the occurrence and financial impact of billion-dollar disasters. This trend is attributed to a combination of increased exposure from development in high-risk areas and the rising intensity of extreme weather events due to climate change.

• Frequency Growth: The annual average number of events has risen from approximately three in the 1980s to 19 over the last decade (2015-2024).
• Cost Escalation: Average annual inflation-adjusted costs have surged from $22.6 billion in the 1980s to $153.2 billion between 2020 and 2024.

Challenges to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

The immense economic losses from these disasters represent a significant impediment to sustainable economic growth (SDG 8) and poverty reduction efforts (SDG 1). Disasters can destroy livelihoods, deplete savings, and disrupt local economies, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. The rising financial burden of recovery diverts resources from essential development initiatives, threatening to reverse progress and entrench inequality.

1. SDGs Addressed in the Article

1. SDG 13: Climate Action

   The article is fundamentally about the impacts of climate change. It directly discusses the increasing frequency and cost of “weather and climate disasters,” such as wildfires and severe storms. The entire premise of the “U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database” is to track the consequences of climate-related hazards, which aligns with the goal of taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   The article highlights the vulnerability of communities to climate disasters. It mentions that the data is used to “insure homes and businesses at risk, and increase communities’ resilience.” Furthermore, it points out that “accelerated development in fire-prone areas, along coasts, and in floodplains can multiply the damage from extreme events,” directly connecting the issue to urban planning and community safety in the face of disasters.

3. SDG 1: No Poverty

   While not explicitly mentioned, the article’s focus on massive economic losses from disasters is relevant to SDG 1. Such events create significant economic shocks that can push vulnerable populations into poverty and exacerbate existing inequalities. The article details “devastating events” with costs reaching “$101.4 billion” in just six months, which represents a major threat to economic security and resilience, particularly for the poor.

2. Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.

   The article’s core theme is the rising impact of climate-related disasters. It states that the frequency and costs of these events “have risen to unprecedented levels.” The database itself is presented as a tool used to “increase communities’ resilience during a period of rising risk,” which directly supports the goal of strengthening adaptive capacity.

2. Target 11.5: Significantly reduce the number of people affected and the economic losses caused by disasters.

   This target is directly addressed by the article’s quantitative focus on the economic impact of disasters. The text is filled with data on direct economic losses, such as the “14 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the U.S., costing $101.4 billion” in the first half of 2025. By tracking these costs, the database provides a primary measure for this target.

3. Target 1.5: Build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events.

   The article discusses the increasing frequency and cost of extreme weather events, which disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. The data on surging costs, which “more than quadrupled from the 1980s ($22.6 billion per year) to the 2010s ($102.0 billion per year),” illustrates the growing economic shocks that threaten the resilience of individuals and communities, aligning with the concerns of this target.

4. Target 11.b: Increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards… adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters…

   The article mentions that the disaster data has been used for decades to “increase communities’ resilience” and provides links to resources like the “U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit” and “Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation” which help communities “assess and plan for climate-related hazards.” This directly relates to the implementation of plans for disaster resilience in human settlements.

3. Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. Direct economic loss attributed to disasters (Explicit)

   The article is built around this indicator. It explicitly provides monetary values for disaster-related losses. Specific examples include:

   • “$101.4 billion” in costs during the first six months of 2025.
   • The Los Angeles wildfires “exceeding $60 billion.”
   • Average annual costs rising from “$22.6 billion per year” in the 1980s to “$153.2 billion per year during 2020-2024.”

   This data directly corresponds to official SDG indicators like 11.5.2 and 13.1.3.

2. Number of climate-related disasters (Explicit)

   The article explicitly tracks the frequency of billion-dollar disasters, which serves as a direct indicator of the increasing threat. It states:

   • “14 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters” occurred in the first six months of 2025.
   • The annual average has grown from “about three events annually during the 1980s to 19 events annually during the last 10 years.”

   This measures the scale of the challenge that resilience and adaptation strategies must address.

3. Availability of public information systems for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction (Implied)

   The article’s focus on the “U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database” as a “publicly accessible resource” implies the importance of such information systems. The text notes the data is used to “inform the public, conduct research,” and support resilience efforts. The existence and maintenance of this database by Climate Central can be seen as an indicator of institutional capacity for awareness-raising and planning, relevant to targets like 13.3.

4. Summary Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: climatecentral.org