This annual amount represents the third highest since this data was tracked by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) in 1980. By far the costliest event of 2022, Hurricane Ian devastating Florida in late September , alone caused $112.9 billion in damage.
The two years with the most damage in the past are 2005 (Hurricane Katrina) and 2017 (Hurricanes Harvey and Irma).
For its calculation, NOAA takes into account the destruction of buildings, public infrastructure (bridges, roads, etc.), the loss of earnings for businesses, or even losses for agriculture – but not the costs of care. health or other indirect costs.
After Ian, the second costliest event was the heat wave and drought that hit the western and central United States, costing more than $22 billion.
In total, the United States experienced no less than 18 weather disasters last year with a cost of more than a billion dollars, also the third year with the most such disasters -- behind 2020 and 2021. .
This concentration of major weather events in recent years points to "a new normal," NOAA warned.
Between 1980 and 2022, the annual number of such disasters averaged eight.
But considering only the last five years, the average soars to 17.8 events per year.
Climate change "amplifies the frequency and intensity of certain types of weather events," NOAA said, citing droughts, longer fire seasons, and rising sea levels worsening storm flooding.
According to an analysis by the research group Rhodium Group, greenhouse gas emissions in the United States increased slightly in 2022 compared to the previous year (+1.3%).
Globally, the past eight years have been the warmest on record, all exceeding pre-industrial temperatures by more than a degree, according to the annual report of the European climate change program Copernicus also published on Tuesday. .
"Cost of inaction"
Also on a global scale, Hurricane Ian was by far the costliest disaster, according to an analysis by the organization Christian Aid published at the end of December.
Last year also saw a severe drought hit Europe in the summer (about 20 billion) and massive flooding in China in the same period (12 billion).
These data highlight "the financial cost of inaction in the face of the climate crisis", said Patrick Watt, CEO of Christian Aid, in a press release.
And "behind these dollar numbers are millions of human stories of loss and suffering."
The 18 disasters identified in the United States by NOAA have caused the death of just under 500 people, according to its report.
The amount of 165 billion could also increase by a few billion more, because the costs linked to the extreme cold wave that hit the north of the United States at the end of December have not yet all been stopped.
And knowing that this report only takes into account major disasters, the total cost related to weather events is even higher, if you add the smaller ones.
But the biggest disasters represent an increasing proportion of the total over the years, according to the agency (about 85% in 2022).
In addition to the increased frequency of these disasters due to climate change, the increase in costs is partly linked to population growth (and therefore to the accumulation of goods) in areas at risk, for example on the coasts.
"There is a growing need to focus on where we build, how we build, and investments to upgrade infrastructure for the 21st century climate," NOAA said.
Since 1980, the United States has suffered 341 weather events costing more than a billion dollars, for a total cost of 2.5 million billion.
© 2023 AFP