May tornadoes, derecho storm push weather damages past $25 billion so far this year

A deadly outbreak of tornadoes last month caused $4.7 billion in damage across the southern, southeastern and central U.S., making it one of the most expensive weather events of the year so far, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said there have been 11 confirmed weather and climate disaster events so far this year, with losses exceeding $1 billion, with the total toll reaching $25 billion. There were more than 165 tornadoes during the May 6-9 outbreak, impacting Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, officials said.

A southern derecho — a widespread, long-lasting windstorm associated with showers or fast-moving thunderstorms — also caused more than $1 billion in damage in May, according to government data. The May 16-17 storm, which stretched from Texas to Florida, killed at least eight people and caused $1.2 billion in damage. Winds of more than 110 mph struck parts of central and eastern Texas during the storm. NOAA described May as a “turbulent month.”

The list of harmful weather events in May may grow with additional events during NOAA’s update in early June, an agency spokesperson said. The cutoff date for this analysis was mid-May and there were several costly hail events that occurred during the second half of May that are still being reviewed.

Other notable storms this year include a January winter storm in the Northwest and several tornado outbreaks in April. In March, hail, tornadoes and high winds cost $5.9 billion, adjusted for inflation. Officials said a preliminary count showed 450 tornadoes in the U.S. in March and April combined. The deadliest tornado of the year so far struck Campo Verde, Iowaon May 21, causing widespread destruction and killing five people.

O 2024 Atlantic hurricane seasonwhich is predicted to be above normal, began in early June and will last until November 30th. Federal forecasters predict 17 to 25 named storms, 8 to 13 hurricanes and 4 to 7 major hurricanes of Category 3 or greater.

For all Hurricanes in the United States, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 is the costliest on record, causing $200 billion in damage. Harvey in 2017, Ian in 2022, Maria in 2017, and Sandy in 2012 cost $158.8 billion, $118.5 billion, $114.3 billion, and $88.5 billion, adjusted for inflation, respectively.

In May, employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency joined NOAA officials to announce the hurricane outlook for the season. At the time, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell noted that severe weather was “becoming part of our new normal,” while FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik A. Hooks. said severe weather events “continue to increase in frequency and duration.”

“In recent years, there have been just 18 days on average between billion-dollar disasters, compared to 82 days in the 1980s,” said NOAA spokesman Adam Smith. “These shorter time intervals between disasters often mean less time and resources are available to respond, recover and prepare for future events. This greater frequency of events produces cascading impacts that are particularly challenging for socioeconomically vulnerable populations.”

Last year, there were 28 weather events with losses exceeding $1 billion each – surpassing the previous record of 22 in 2020. Nearly 500 people died in these storms. Criswell warned in August 2023 that the the organization’s disaster fund may dry up and delaying the federal response to natural disasters.

FEMA May Relief Fund Report for Major Disasterscovering 2024 at the end of April, shows the fund could be in the red by more than $1.3 billion by August.

“FEMA continues to work with the Administration and Congress to ensure there is sufficient funding available,” a FEMA spokesperson said in a statement. “Without additional funding, FEMA will take steps before funding is exhausted to ensure that resources are available to support ongoing life-saving and life-sustaining activities and provide a reserve for initial response and recovery operations for a new catastrophic event.”

In 2022There were 18 extreme weather events that each caused at least $1 billion in damage, totaling more than $165 billion.