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Increasing Number of Billion-Dollar Disasters in the U.S. in 2024
May brought two severe weather events that significantly increased the number of billion-dollar disasters in the United States for 2024. The month started with a tornado outbreak from May 6 to May 10, spanning 23 states from South Dakota to Florida. A total of 167 tornadoes were confirmed during this outbreak, including a deadly EF-4 tornado on the first day that devastated the towns of Barnsdall and Bartlesville in Oklahoma.
Almost a week later, a derecho, which is a widespread wind storm associated with severe thunderstorms, swept through Houston, Texas, with wind speeds reaching up to 100 miles per hour (161 kilometers per hour). The storm caused extensive damage, resulting in the loss of at least eight lives.
Between March and April, the U.S. experienced a total of 450 tornadoes, with the deadliest being another EF-4 tornado that claimed five lives in Greenfield, Iowa. The country has already faced eleven separate billion-dollar weather and climate events from January to the end of May, each causing economic losses of at least $1 billion. The total cost of the damage for these events exceeded $25 billion.
Impact of Billion-Dollar Disasters
Since 1980, there have been a total of 387 billion-dollar disasters in the United States, resulting in over $2.74 trillion worth of damage. These events have included winter storms and various severe storms, highlighting the increasing financial toll of extreme weather conditions in the country.
Climate Conditions in May 2024
In addition to the severe storms, May also brought significant changes in climate conditions across the United States. Drought conditions shifted, with a 4% decrease in the total area experiencing drought since the end of April, now totaling 13% of the contiguous U.S. The drought intensified in western Kansas, eastern Colorado, southeastern Wyoming, parts of the Northwest, and Florida. However, some regions, such as the Upper Midwest, the Midwest, Northern Rockies, and parts of Hawaii, saw a reduction in drought intensity.
Furthermore, May 2024 was the 13th warmest on record over the past 130 years in the contiguous U.S., with an average temperature of 62.3 degrees Fahrenheit (16.8 degrees Celsius). The eastern half of the country, including Florida, experienced its warmest May on record. These temperature fluctuations are attributed to human-driven climate change, with meteorological spring tying with 2016 as the sixth-warmest on record, averaging 53.7 degrees F (12 degrees C).
Scientists have also confirmed that the summer of 2023 was the hottest in 2,000 years, with each month from June to December setting a global heat record for its respective history. For instance, July 2023 was the hottest July on record, underscoring the ongoing impact of climate change on global temperatures.
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