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

Introduction: A Critical Data Resource for Sustainable Development

The U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database, a vital tool for monitoring the impacts of climate change, has been transferred from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to Climate Central. This publicly accessible resource is critical for informing strategies aimed at achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). The continuation of this database ensures that policymakers, researchers, and the public have access to crucial data on the escalating frequency and cost of climate-related disasters, which directly threaten sustainable development.

Analysis of 2025 Disaster Data: A Setback for SDG Progress

Data from the first six months of 2025 reveal an alarming trend of costly weather and climate disasters, significantly impeding progress toward the SDGs.

Key Findings for January-June 2025

• The United States experienced 14 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters.
• The total economic impact of these events amounted to $101.4 billion.
• This frequency is substantially higher than the long-term annual average of nine events, indicating an acceleration of climate impacts that challenges the resilience targets of SDG 11.
• The January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires were the costliest single event, exceeding $60 billion. This event alone represents a major setback for SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) due to ecosystem destruction and air quality degradation.

These immense economic losses undermine SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and risk exacerbating inequality, working against SDG 1 (No Poverty) by disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities.

Long-Term Trends and Their Impact on Climate Action (SDG 13)

The long-term data archived in the database, dating back to 1980, illustrates a clear and sustained increase in the frequency and cost of major disasters, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive measures under SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Escalating Frequency of Disasters

1. 1980s: The average number of billion-dollar disasters was approximately three events per year.
2. Last 10 Years: The average has surged to 19 events annually.
3. 2023-2024: These years set new records with 28 and 27 events, respectively.

Surging Economic Costs

1. 1980s: Average annual inflation-adjusted costs were $22.6 billion.
2. 2010s: Average annual costs quadrupled to $102.0 billion.
3. 2020-2024: Costs continued to rise, reaching an average of $153.2 billion per year.

This dramatic escalation highlights the consequences of insufficient climate action. The rising costs reflect not only more intense weather but also increased vulnerability, stressing the need for investment in resilient infrastructure as outlined in SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

Conclusion: The Imperative for Data-Driven Policy to Achieve the SDGs

The continuation of the U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database by Climate Central provides an indispensable resource for quantifying the challenges posed by climate change to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The data clearly demonstrates that without decisive climate action (SDG 13), progress on building sustainable communities (SDG 11), reducing poverty (SDG 1), and ensuring economic stability (SDG 8) will be continuously undermined. This report underscores the necessity for policymakers to utilize this data to develop and implement robust adaptation and mitigation strategies that build resilience and safeguard sustainable futures.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on the U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by highlighting the increasing frequency and economic impact of climate-related disasters and the importance of data for building resilience.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The article’s core focus is on the devastating impact of weather and climate disasters on communities, including homes and businesses. It discusses the surge in direct costs and the need for data to “increase communities’ resilience,” which directly aligns with making human settlements resilient and safe.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: This is the most prominent SDG addressed. The article explicitly discusses “weather and climate disasters” such as wildfires and severe storms, their rising frequency, and their unprecedented costs. This directly relates to the need to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article details how Climate Central, a non-governmental organization, is taking over the operation of the “U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database” after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a government agency, ceased its operations. This collaboration to sustain a publicly accessible resource is a clear example of a civil society-public partnership to achieve common goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the issues discussed, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 11.5: “By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters…” The article is centered on quantifying the “direct costs of billion-dollar disasters,” noting they have surged to an average of “$153.2 billion per year during 2020-2024.” This data is essential for tracking progress towards reducing economic losses.
2. Target 11.b: “…implementing integrated policies and plans towards… adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters…” The article states that the disaster data has been used for decades to “increase communities’ resilience” and points to resources like the “U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit” which helps communities plan for climate-related hazards.
3. Target 13.1: “Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.” The entire premise of maintaining the database is to provide information that helps “insure homes and businesses at risk, and increase communities’ resilience during a period of rising risk.” The rising frequency of disasters, from “three events annually during the 1980s to 19 events annually during the last 10 years,” underscores the urgency of this target.
4. Target 17.17: “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…” The article describes a partnership where “Climate Central is restarting and sustaining this publicly accessible resource” after “NOAA ceased project operations.” This action ensures that critical data remains available for public and private use, demonstrating an effective partnership.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article provides several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress.

• Direct economic loss from disasters: The article is replete with this indicator. It cites “$101.4 billion” in costs in the first six months of 2025, a “$60 billion” cost for the Los Angeles wildfires, and the rise in average annual costs from “$22.6 billion per year” in the 1980s to “$153.2 billion per year” during 2020-2024. These figures directly measure the economic impact mentioned in Target 11.5.
• Number of climate-related disaster events: The article tracks the frequency of these events, stating there have been “14 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters” in the first half of 2025, which is “well above the long-term annual average of nine events per year.” This serves as a direct indicator for monitoring the scale of climate-related hazards under Target 13.1.
• Availability of public access to data and information for disaster risk reduction: The central theme of the article is the continuation of the “U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database.” Its existence as a “publicly accessible resource” is a qualitative indicator of institutional capacity and partnership effectiveness, relevant to Targets 13.1 and 17.17.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: climatecentral.org