NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
Florida Summary
From 1980–2024 (as of April 8, 2024), there have been 84 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect Florida. These events included 7 drought events, 4 flooding events, 5 freeze events, 27 severe storm events, 32 tropical cyclone events, 4 wildfire events, and 5 winter storm events. The 1980–2023 annual average is 1.9 events (CPI-adjusted); the annual average for the most recent 5 years (2019–2023) is 4.8 events (CPI-adjusted).
| Disaster Type | Events | Events/Year | Percent Frequency | Total Costs | Percent of Total Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | 7 | 0.2 | 8.3% | $1.0B-$2.0B | 0.4% |
| Flooding | 4 | 0.1 | 4.8% | $2.0B-$5.0B | 0.7% |
| Freeze | 5 | 0.1 | 6.0% | $10.0B-$20.0B | 3.5% |
| Severe Storm | 27 | 0.6 | 32.1% | $5.0B-$10.0B | 1.4% |
| Tropical Cyclone | 32 | 0.7 | 38.1% | $300.0B-$370.0B | 92.9% |
| Wildfire | 4 | 0.1 | 4.8% | $250M-$500M | 0.1% |
| Winter Storm | 5 | 0.1 | 6.0% | $2.0B-$5.0B | 1.0% |
| All Disasters | 84 | 1.9 | 100.0% | $300.0B-$390.0B | 100.0% |
| Drought | 7 | 0.2 | 9.5% | $500M-$1.0B | 0.3% |
| Flooding | 3 | 0.1 | 4.1% | $1.0B-$2.0B | 0.4% |
| Freeze | 4 | 0.1 | 5.4% | $2.0B-$5.0B | 1.5% |
| Severe Storm | 23 | 0.5 | 31.1% | $2.0B-$5.0B | 1.1% |
| Tropical Cyclone | 31 | 0.7 | 41.9% | $200.0B-$300.0B | 96.0% |
| Wildfire | 4 | 0.1 | 5.4% | $100M-$250M | 0.1% |
| Winter Storm | 2 | 0.0 | 2.7% | $1.0B-$2.0B | 0.6% |
| All Disasters | 74 | 1.6 | 100.0% | $200.0B-$300.0B | 100.0% |
| Time Period | Billion-Dollar Disasters | Events/ | Cost | Percent of Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s (1980-1989) | 11 | 1.1 | $10.0B-$20.0B | 4.0% |
| 1990s (1990-1999) | 13 | 1.3 | $50.0B-$100.0B | 18.8% |
| 2000s (2000-2009) | 19 | 1.9 | $100.0B-$200.0B | 26.2% |
| 2010s (2010-2019) | 17 | 1.7 | $50.0B-$100.0B | 18.7% |
| Last 5 Years (2019-2023) | 24 | 4.8 | $100.0B-$200.0B | 32.4% |
| Last 3 Years (2021-2023) | 16 | 5.3 | $100.0B-$200.0B | 30.9% |
| Last Year (2023) | 8 | 8.0 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 1.2% |
| All Years (1980-2024)* | 84 | 1.9 | $300.0B-$390.0B | 100.0% |
| 1980s (1980-1989) | 6 | 0.6 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 1.7% |
| 1990s (1990-1999) | 11 | 1.1 | $20.0B-$50.0B | 11.7% |
| 2000s (2000-2009) | 17 | 1.7 | $50.0B-$100.0B | 22.6% |
| 2010s (2010-2019) | 16 | 1.6 | $50.0B-$100.0B | 20.9% |
| Last 5 Years (2019-2023) | 24 | 4.8 | $100.0B-$200.0B | 43.2% |
| Last 3 Years (2021-2023) | 16 | 5.3 | $100.0B-$200.0B | 41.4% |
| Last Year (2023) | 8 | 8.0 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 1.6% |
| All Years (1980-2024)* | 74 | 1.6 | $200.0B-$300.0B | 100.0% |
| Event | Type | Begin Date |
End Date |
Summary |
CPI-AUnadjusted Estimated Cost (in Billions) |
Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Southern Tornado Outbreak and East Coast Storm January 2024 | Severe Storm | January 8, 2024 | January 10, 2024 | Southern tornado outbreak and east coast storm impacted more than a dozen states. At least 39 preliminary tornadoes were clustered around the Florida Panhandle through the Carolinas while hundreds of high wind reports were scattered up the East Coast reflecting damage to homes, businesses, vehicles and other infrastructure. The strongest tornado was an EF-3 that caused significant damage around Panama City Beach, Florida, after an intense waterspout moved onshore. | $1.8 CI | 3 |
East Coast Storm and Flooding December 2023 | Flooding | December 16, 2023 | December 18, 2023 | Powerful east coast storm from Florida to Maine produced widespread impacts from heavy rainfall, flooding, high winds and coastal erosion. The heavy rainfall and snowmelt were amplified by record-high temperatures in the Northeast. | $1.3 CI | 5 |
Hurricane Idalia August 2023 | Tropical Cyclone | August 29, 2023 | August 31, 2023 | Hurricane Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach in the Big Bend region of Florida as a strong Category 3 hurricane with winds of 125 mph. Idalia was the strongest hurricane to hit the Big Bend region in more than 125 years. Storm surge was about 8 feet above ground at Cedar Key, which caused heavy damage to homes, businesses, vehicles and other infrastructure. Other Big Bend coastal communities were also inundated by storm surge. Idalia produced 5 to 10 inches of rainfall across the Big Bend region of Florida and southeastern portions of Georgia and the Carolinas. The relatively low population density of the Big Bend region helped to reduce the physical exposure and damage costs. Significant flooding was reported in downtown Charleston, SC and nearby Edisto Beach. There was also 2 to 4 feet of storm surge along the Carolina coastline, which was exacerbated by the full moon and high tide cycle. | $3.5 CI | 5 |
Northeastern and Eastern Severe Weather August 2023 | Severe Storm | August 5, 2023 | August 8, 2023 | More than one thousand reports of high wind, severe hail or tornadoes across many Northeastern and Eastern states. August 7 was a prolific day of severe weather with damage reports from Georgia to New York. These storms caused impacts to many homes, vehicles, businesses, agriculture and other infrastructure. | $1.7 CI | 4 |
Central and Southern Severe Weather June 2023 | Severe Storm | June 15, 2023 | June 18, 2023 | Severe storms produce over one thousand reports of damaging weather across Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas and Ohio. Among these reports were over 70 preliminary tornadoes including an EF-3 tornado in Louin, Mississippi. This combination of high winds, hail and tornadoes caused damage to homes, businesses, vehicles, agriculture and other infrastructure. The damage was most focused in Oklahoma. | $3.8 CI | 5 |
Southern Severe Weather June 2023 | Severe Storm | June 11, 2023 | June 14, 2023 | Numerous southern states including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, South Carolina and Florida were impacted by hail, tornadoes and high winds. These storms caused damage to many homes, vehicles and businesses across several days of severe storm activity. | $4.1 CI | 0 |
Southern Severe Weather April 2023 | Severe Storm | April 25, 2023 | April 27, 2023 | Southern severe weather across Texas, Georgia and Florida. Considerable hail and wind damage to many homes, businesses, vehicles and other infrastructure. | $1.3 CI | 0 |
Central and Southern Severe Weather April 2023 | Severe Storm | April 15, 2023 | April 15, 2023 | Several central and southern states including Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Texas, Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle were impacted by hail, tornadoes and high winds. These storms caused damage to many homes, vehicles and businesses. | $1.4 CI | 0 |
Fort Lauderdale Flash Flood April 2023 | Flooding | April 12, 2023 | April 13, 2023 | Historical rainfall and flash flooding inundated Fort Lauderdale and surrounding areas with over 25 inches of rainfall in less than 24 hours. This resulted in many flooded homes, vehicles and businesses. The Fort Lauderdale Airport also closed on April 13 due to the flooding. | $1.1 CI | 0 |
Hurricane Nicole November 2022 | Tropical Cyclone | November 10, 2022 | November 11, 2022 | Category 1 Hurricane Nicole made landfall at North Hutchinson Island, Florida producing heavy rain, flooding and coastal erosion. Many of the Florida counties and communities impacted by Nicole were still recovering from the high wind and flooding impacts of Hurricane Ian several weeks earlier. This compounded the existing damage and recovery timeline. Nicole was the first hurricane to make landfall in Florida during November since Hurricane Kate in 1985. | $1.1 CI | 5 |
Hurricane Ian September 2022 | Tropical Cyclone | September 28, 2022 | September 30, 2022 | Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa, Florida, as a Category 4 Hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph. | $117.4 CI | 152 |
Southeast Tornado Outbreak April 2022 | Severe Storm | April 4, 2022 | April 6, 2022 | A tornado outbreak on April 4-6 with a combined 100 preliminary tornadoes reported. The tornadoes occurred across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. Many of these tornadoes were clustered along the southern regions of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. During this three-day period many of these tornadoes were rated as either EF-1 or EF-0, but there were also nine EF-2, three EF-3 and one EF-4 tornado. This EF-4 occurred in Pembroke, Georgia on April 5th with winds of 185 mph that destroyed several neighborhoods. Many of the other tornadoes across the South caused considerable damage to homes, businesses, vehicles, and other infrastructure. | $1.5 CI | 3 |
Southern Tornado Outbreak March 2022 | Severe Storm | March 30, 2022 | March 30, 2022 | An outbreak of 83 tornadoes was focused across the Gulf Coast states including Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. | $1.4 CI | 2 |
Hurricane Nicholas September 2021 | Tropical Cyclone | September 14, 2021 | September 18, 2021 | Category 1 Hurricane Nicholas made landfall near Sargent Beach, Texas on September 14 and moved slowly toward Louisiana over the next several days. This slow progression helped to produce flooding rainfall across regions of the Gulf Coast that were already saturated from Hurricane Ida. | $1.1 CI | 0 |
Hurricane Ida August 2021 | Tropical Cyclone | August 29, 2021 | September 1, 2021 | Category 4 Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 930 mb. Ida was one of three hurricanes in recorded history to make landfall in Louisiana with 150 mph winds, along with Hurricane Laura in 2020 and the 'Last Island' hurricane of 1856. Grand Isle, Louisiana took a direct hit with 100% of its homes damaged and nearly 40% were nearly-to-completely destroyed. There was heavy damage to the energy infrastructure across southern Louisiana causing widespread, long duration power outages to millions of people. Parts of New Orleans were without power for nearly a week due to the widespread damage. As the remnants of Ida moved into the Northeast it merged with a frontal system creating severe weather and flash flooding across a wide region from eastern Pennsylvania to New York. Flash flood emergencies were declared in New Jersey and New York for the first time, producing damage to homes, businesses, vehicles and infrastructure while also causing dozens of fatalities. | $83.1 CI | 96 |
Tropical Storm Fred August 2021 | Tropical Cyclone | August 16, 2021 | August 18, 2021 | Tropical Storm Fred made landfall near Panama City, Florida. As Fred progressed northward it caused torrential flooding across the southern Appalachian Mountains with more than a foot of rainfall reported in some locations of western North Carolina. This flash flooding caused damage to many homes, businesses, vehicles, roads and bridges, in additional to several fatalities. Fred also produced nearly a dozen tornadoes across the Northeast as it moved up the East Coast. | $1.5 CI | 7 |
Tropical Storm Elsa July 2021 | Tropical Cyclone | July 7, 2021 | July 9, 2021 | Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall in Taylor County, Florida producing heavy rain, wind, flooding and tornadoes in portions of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, as well as flooding across parts of the Northeast. Southern New England and New York's Long Island experienced flash flooding, leading to impassable roads, stranded vehicles and disruption. Elsa was the earliest fifth-named storm on record. | $1.4 CI | 1 |
Tropical Storm Eta November 2020 | Tropical Cyclone | November 8, 2020 | November 12, 2020 | Tropical Storm Eta made landfall in the Florida Keys on November 8 followed by a second landfall near Cedar Key on the west coast of Florida on November 10. Eta produced wind and heavy rain impacts in southern Florida. These impacts continued well inland, as Eta's energy merged with a cold front across several eastern states. This combination produced extreme rainfall across North Carolina and Virginia, which led to significant flooding that damaged homes, businesses and infrastructure. This flooding also caused one dozen fatalities. | $1.7 CI | 12 |
Hurricane Sally September 2020 | Tropical Cyclone | September 15, 2020 | September 17, 2020 | Hurricane Sally was a category 2 hurricane at landfall in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Wind gusts up to 100 mph and 20-30 inches of rainfall caused considerable flood and wind damage across Alabama, the Florida panhandle and into Georgia. Many homes and businesses in downtown Pensacola, FL were impacted from flooding produced by storm surge and heavy rainfall. 2020 is now the fourth consecutive year (2017-2020) that the U.S. has been impacted by a slow moving tropical cyclone that produced extreme rainfall and damaging floods - Harvey, Florence, Imelda and Sally. | $8.7 CI | 5 |
Hurricane Isaias August 2020 | Tropical Cyclone | August 3, 2020 | August 4, 2020 | Hurricane Isaias made landfall in southeastern North Carolina as a category 1 storm. Isaias accelerated up the East Coast, resulting in widespread damage and power outages across New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. There was also considerable inland flooding most notably in Pennsylvania. In addition, 34 tornadoes developed across North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey due to Isaias. Many tornadoes were weaker (EF-0 and EF-1) producing scattered damage to agriculture, structures and residences. Isaias also produced several EF-2 tornadoes and one EF-3 tornado that caused damage in coastal North Carolina and Virginia. | $5.7 CI | 16 |
South, Central and Eastern Severe Weather May 2020 | Severe Storm | May 20, 2020 | May 23, 2020 | A combination of thunderstorm high winds, hail and tornadoes affected numerous Southern, Central and Eastern states. The states most affected included Texas, Illinois and North Carolina with damage to homes, businesses and vehicles. Oklahoma, Arkansas, Indiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. | $1.9 CI | 2 |
Southern Severe Weather April 2020 | Severe Storm | April 21, 2020 | April 23, 2020 | Severe weather caused damage across many Southern states. The states most affected from a combination of high winds, hail and tornadoes included Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Virginia. The states with the highest damage totals for the event were Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas. | $1.6 CI | 3 |
Southeast and Eastern Tornado Outbreak April 2020 | Severe Storm | April 12, 2020 | April 13, 2020 | Outbreak of at least 140 tornadoes from Texas to Maryland including 3 EF4s, 12 EF3s, 20 EF2s, 77 EF1s and 28 EF0s. Damage was extensive and highly destructive to many homes, vehicles and businesses across more than a dozen Southeast and Eastern states. | $4.2 CI | 35 |
South, East and Northeast Severe Weather February 2020 | Severe Storm | February 5, 2020 | February 7, 2020 | Severe weather across many South, East and Northeastern states including AL, FL, GA, SC, LA, MS, TN, NC, VA, PA, RI, NY, NJ, MD and MA. There were more than 20 tornadoes clustered across central Mississippi into Tennessee. There were also hundreds of high wind damage reports from Florida to New Jersey, with the Carolinas and Florida receiving the most costly damage. | $1.5 CI | 3 |
Hurricane Dorian September 2019 | Tropical Cyclone | August 28, 2019 | September 6, 2019 | Category 1 hurricane makes landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, after devastating the northern Bahama Islands as a historically-powerful and slow-moving hurricane. Dorian tracked offshore parallel to the Florida, Georgia and South Carolina coastline before making a North Carolina landfall, bringing a destructive sound-side surge that inundated many coastal properties and isolated residents who did not evacuate. Significant flood, severe storm, and tornado damage to many homes and businesses occurred on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Dorian's intensification to a category 5 storm marks the fourth consecutive year, in which a maximum category 5 storm developed in the Atlantic basin - a new record. Dorian also tied the record for maximum sustained wind speed for a landfalling hurricane (185 mph) in the Atlantic, a record shared with the historic 1935 Labor Day Hurricane. | $1.9 CI | 10 |
Hurricane Michael October 2018 | Tropical Cyclone | October 10, 2018 | October 11, 2018 | Powerful category 5 hurricane made landfall at Mexico Beach, Florida with devastating winds of 160 mph and storm surge in excess of 15 feet. Mexico Beach was nearly destroyed, while Panama City suffered extensive damage. Florida's Tyndall Air Force Base also suffered a direct strike from Michael's most intense eye wall winds causing billions in damage costs. Michael's intense winds also reached well inland causing billions in damage costs to agriculture and forestry, as high winds hit during harvest season for numerous crops across several states. Michael is the third category 4 or higher storm to make landfall in the U.S. since 2017. Michael is the first category 5 to strike the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and is only the fourth on record. The others are the Labor Day Hurricane (1935) and Hurricane Camille (1969). Michael was initially rated as a category 4 with 155 winds but upgraded to a category 5 with 160 mph winds upon further analysis. | $30.7 CI | 49 |
Southern and Eastern Tornadoes and Severe Weather April 2018 | Severe Storm | April 13, 2018 | April 16, 2018 | Tornadoes and severe storms with large hail cause widespread damage across many Southern and Eastern states (AR, FL, GA, LA, MD, MI, MS, MO, NJ, NY, NC, PA, SC, TX, VA) over a multi-day period. There were over 70 confirmed tornadoes largely clustered in Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia. This same system also caused winter storm impacts of high wind and ice accumulation in northeastern states. | $1.6 CI | 3 |
Southeastern Tornadoes and Severe Weather March 2018 | Severe Storm | March 18, 2018 | March 21, 2018 | A potent severe storm system caused over 20 tornadoes across Alabama and also widespread hail damage from Texas to Florida. Most notably this system produced an EF-3 tornado that caused extensive damage in Jacksonville, Alabama and across the campus of Jacksonville State University. | $1.8 CI | 0 |
Hurricane Irma September 2017 | Tropical Cyclone | September 6, 2017 | September 12, 2017 | Category 4 hurricane made landfall at Cudjoe Key, Florida after devastating the U.S. Virgin Islands - St John and St Thomas - as a category 5 storm. The Florida Keys were heavily impacted, as 25% of buildings were destroyed while 65% were significantly damaged. Severe wind and storm surge damage also occurred along the coasts of Florida and South Carolina. Jacksonville, FL and Charleston, SC received near-historic levels of storm surge causing significant coastal flooding. Irma maintained a maximum sustained wind of 185 mph for 37 hours, the longest in the satellite era. Irma also was a category 5 storm for longer than all other Atlantic hurricanes except Ivan in 2004. | $63.0 CI | 97 |
Southeast Severe Weather and Tornadoes April 2017 | Severe Storm | April 4, 2017 | April 6, 2017 | Severe weather and tornadoes impact numerous southern and eastern states. The states most impacted include Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky. | $1.2 CI | 1 |
Southeast Freeze March 2017 | Freeze | March 14, 2017 | March 16, 2017 | Severe freeze heavily damaged fruit crops across several southeastern states (SC, GA, NC, TN, AL, MS, FL, KY, VA). Mid-March freezes are not climatologically unusual in the Southeast, however many crops were blooming 3+ weeks early due to unusually warm temperatures during the preceding weeks. Damage was most severe in Georgia and South Carolina. Crops most impacted include peaches, blueberries, strawberries and apples, among others. | $1.3 CI | 0 |
Southern Tornado Outbreak and Western Storms January 2017 | Severe Storm | January 20, 2017 | January 22, 2017 | High wind damage occurred across southern California near San Diego followed by 79 confirmed tornadoes during an outbreak across many southern states including AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, SC and TX. This was the 3rd most tornadoes to occur in a single outbreak of extreme weather during a winter month (Dec.-Feb.) based on records from 1950. | $1.4 CI | 24 |
Hurricane Matthew October 2016 | Tropical Cyclone | October 8, 2016 | October 12, 2016 | Category 1 hurricane made landfall in North Carolina, after it paralleled the Southeast coast along Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas causing widespread damage from wind, storm surge and inland flooding. The most costly impacts were due to historic levels of river flooding in eastern North Carolina where 100,000 homes, businesses and other structures were damaged. This inland flooding was comparable to Hurricane Floyd (1999) that also impacted eastern North Carolina. Matthew narrowly missed landall on Florida's east coast as a powerful category 4 storm. | $12.8 CI | 49 |
North/ April 2016 | Severe Storm | April 10, 2016 | April 12, 2016 | Widespread severe hail damage across north and central Texas including the cities of Plano, Wylie, Frisco, Allen and San Antonio. The damage in San Antonio was particularly severe as the National Weather Service verified reports of hail size reaching 4.5 inches in diameter. This ranks as one of the most costly hail events to affect the United States. | $4.5 CI | 0 |
Southeast and Eastern Tornadoes February 2016 | Severe Storm | February 22, 2016 | February 24, 2016 | Early outbreak of tornadoes and severe weather across many southern and eastern states including (AL, CT, FL, GA, LA, MA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, NY, PA, SC, TX, VA). There were at least 50 confirmed tornadoes causing widespread damage. | $1.4 CI | 10 |
South and Southeast Severe Weather April 2015 | Severe Storm | April 24, 2015 | April 25, 2015 | Severe weather produced tornadoes, large hail and high wind damage across numerous southern and southeastern states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. These storms caused widespread impacts to many homes, vehicles and businesses. | $1.2* CI | 3 |
South/ April 2015 | Severe Storm | April 18, 2015 | April 20, 2015 | Severe storms across the South and Southeastern states (AL, AR, FL, GA, KS, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX). High winds and severe hail created the most significant damage in Texas. | $1.7 CI | 0 |
Midwest/ April 2014 | Severe Storm | April 27, 2014 | May 1, 2014 | Tornado outbreak across the Midwest, Southeast and Northeast states (AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, KS, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA) with 83 confirmed tornadoes. Mississippi had its 3rd greatest number of tornadoes reported for any day since 1950. Torrential rainfall in the Florida panhandle also caused major flooding, as Pensacola set new 1-day and 2-day precipitation records of 15.55 and 20.47 inches, respectively. Flooding rains were also reported in coastal Alabama, as Mobile received 11.24 inches of rain, the third greatest calendar day rainfall total for the city. | $2.3 CI | 33 |
Hurricane Isaac August 2012 | Tropical Cyclone | August 26, 2012 | August 31, 2012 | Category 1 hurricane made landfall over Louisiana. Isaac's slow motion and large size led to a large storm surge and flooding rains. This created damage across several southeastern states (LA, MS, AL, FL) including 9 deaths (5 direct, 4 indirect). | $3.7 CI | 9 |
Texas, New Mexico, Arizona Wildfires Summer-Fall 2011 | Wildfire | June 1, 2011 | November 30, 2011 | Continued drought conditions and periods of extreme heat provided conditions favorable for a series of historic wildfires across Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The Bastrop Fire in Texas was the most destructive fire in Texas history destroying over 1,500 homes. The Wallow Fire consumed over 500,000 acres in Arizona making it the largest on record in Arizona. The Las Conchas Fire in New Mexico was also the state's largest wildfire on record scorching over 150,000 acres while threatening the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Over 3 million acres have burned across Texas this wildfire season. | $2.5 CI | 5 |
Southern Plains/ Spring-Summer 2011 | Drought | March 1, 2011 | August 31, 2011 | Drought and heat wave conditions created major impacts across Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, southern Kansas, and western Louisiana. In Texas and Oklahoma, a majority of range and pastures were classified in "very poor" condition for much of the 2011 crop growing season. | $16.9 CI | 95 |
U.S. Wildfires Fall 2008 | Wildfire | September 1, 2008 | November 30, 2008 | Drought conditions across numerous western, central and southeastern states (AK, AZ, CA, NM, ID, UT, MT, NV, OR, WA, CO, TX, OK, NC, FL ) resulted in thousands of wildfires; national acreage burned exceeding 5.2 million acres (mainly in the west) and over 1,000 homes and structures destroyed in California fires alone. | $1.8 CI | 16 |
Western/ Summer-Fall 2007 | Drought | June 1, 2007 | November 30, 2007 | Severe drought with periods of extreme heat over most of the southeast and portions of the Great Plains, Ohio Valley, and Great Lakes area, resulting in major reductions in crop yields, along with very low stream-flows and lake levels. Includes states of ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, TX, MN, WI, IA, MO, AR, LA, MS, AL, GA, NC, SC, FL, TN, VA, WV, KY, IN, IL, OH, MI, PA, NY. | $5.4 CI | 15 |
Western Wildfires Summer 2007 | Wildfire | June 1, 2007 | August 31, 2007 | Continued drought conditions and high winds over much of the western U.S. (AK, AZ, CA, ID, UT, MT, NV, OR, WA) resulting in numerous wildfires; with national acreage burned exceeding 8.9 million acres (mainly in the west) and over 3,000 homes and structures destroyed in southern California alone. | $4.1 CI | 12 |
Numerous Wildfires 2006 | Wildfire | January 1, 2006 | December 31, 2006 | Numerous wildfires driven by dry weather and high winds burned over 9.8 million acres, across the western half of the country including Alaska. This is the second highest annual total behind the 10.1 million acres burned in 2015 since record-keeping began in 1960. The most affected states were AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, ID, MT, NM, NV, OK, OR, TX, WA, WY | $2.3 CI | 28 |
Midwest/ Spring-Summer 2006 | Drought | March 1, 2006 | August 31, 2006 | Rather severe drought affected crops especially during the spring-summer, centered over the Great Plains region with other areas affected across portions of the south -- including states of ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, TX, MN, IA, MO, AR, LA, MS, AL, GA, FL, MT, WY, CO, NM. | $9.4 CI | 0 |
Hurricane Wilma October 2005 | Tropical Cyclone | October 24, 2005 | October 24, 2005 | Category 3 hurricane hits SW Florida resulting in strong damaging winds and major flooding across southeastern Florida. Prior to landfall, Wilma as a Category 5 recorded the lowest pressure (882 mb) ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. | $29.6 CI | 35 |
Hurricane Rita September 2005 | Tropical Cyclone | September 20, 2005 | September 24, 2005 | Category 3 hurricane hits Texas-Louisiana border coastal region, creating significant storm surge and wind damage along the coast, and some inland flooding in the FL panhandle, AL, MS, LA, AR, and TX. Prior to landfall, Rita reached the third lowest pressure (897 mb) ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. | $28.9 CI | 119 |
Hurricane Katrina August 2005 | Tropical Cyclone | August 25, 2005 | August 30, 2005 | Category 3 hurricane initially impacts the U.S. as a Category 1 near Miami, FL, then as a strong Category 3 along the eastern LA-western MS coastlines, resulting in severe storm surge damage (maximum surge probably exceeded 30 feet) along the LA-MS-AL coasts, wind damage, and the failure of parts of the levee system in New Orleans. Inland effects included high winds and some flooding in the states of AL, MS, FL, TN, KY, IN, OH, and GA. | $197.5 CI | 1,833 |
Hurricane Dennis July 2005 | Tropical Cyclone | July 9, 2005 | July 11, 2005 | Category 3 hurricane makes landfall in western Florida panhandle resulting in storm surge and wind damage along the FL and AL coasts, along with scattered wind and flood damage in GA and MS. | $4.0 CI | 15 |
Southeast Severe Weather March 2005 | Severe Storm | March 24, 2005 | March 27, 2005 | Severe storms cause widespread hail damage across numerous states including TX, AL, MS, GA, FL, NC and VA. | $1.4* CI | 0 |
Hurricane Jeanne September 2004 | Tropical Cyclone | September 15, 2004 | September 29, 2004 | Category 3 hurricane makes landfall in east-central Florida, causing considerable wind, storm surge, and flooding damage in FL, with some flood damage also in the states of GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, DE, NJ, PA, and NY. Puerto Rico also affected. | $12.2 CI | 28 |
Hurricane Ivan September 2004 | Tropical Cyclone | September 12, 2004 | September 21, 2004 | Category 3 hurricane makes landfall on Gulf coast of Alabama, with significant wind, storm surge, and flooding damage in coastal AL and FL panhandle, along with wind/flood damage in the states of GA, MS, LA, SC, NC, VA, WV, MD, TN, KY, OH, DE, NJ, PA, and NY. | $33.4 CI | 57 |
Hurricane Frances September 2004 | Tropical Cyclone | September 3, 2004 | September 9, 2004 | Category 2 hurricane makes landfall in east-central Florida, causing significant wind, storm surge, and flooding damage in FL, along with considerable flood damage in the states of GA, SC, NC, and NY due to 5-15 inch rains. | $16.0 CI | 48 |
Hurricane Charley August 2004 | Tropical Cyclone | August 13, 2004 | August 14, 2004 | Category 4 hurricane makes landfall in southwest Florida, resulting in major wind and some storm surge damage in FL, along with some damage in the states of SC and NC. | $26.2 CI | 35 |
Southern Derecho and Eastern Severe Weather July 2003 | Severe Storm | July 21, 2003 | July 23, 2003 | Derecho across several southern states with the most focused damage across the Memphis, Tennessee metro area. Severe storms impact states across the South, Southeast, Midwest and Northeast regions including AR, AL, MS, GA, FL, SC, TN, KY, MI, NY, OH, PA and VT. | $1.7 CI | 7 |
Tropical Storm Isidore September 2002 | Tropical Cyclone | September 25, 2002 | September 27, 2002 | Tropical Storm Isidore caused heavy rain, flooding, tornadoes and coastal storm surge that impacted Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. Rainfall exceeded 15 inches across southern Louisiana with storm surge over 8 feet. | $2.0 CI | 5 |
Tropical Storm Allison June 2001 | Tropical Cyclone | June 5, 2001 | June 17, 2001 | The persistent remnants of Tropical Storm Allison produce rainfall amounts of 30-40 inches in portions of coastal Texas and Louisiana, causing severe flooding especially in the Houston area, then moves slowly northeastward; fatalities and significant damage reported in TX, LA, MS, FL, VA, and PA | $14.8 CI | 43 |
Western/ Spring-Fall 2000 | Drought | March 1, 2000 | November 30, 2000 | Western/Central/Southeast Drought/Heat Wave. The states impacted include AZ, AL, AR, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, KS, LA, MS, MT, NE, NM, OK, OR, SC, TN, and TX. | $9.2 CI | 140 |
South Florida Flooding October 2000 | Flooding | October 3, 2000 | October 4, 2000 | Heavy rainfall up to 15 inches affected south Florida surrounding Miami that resulted in severe flooding that damaged thousands of homes and businesses. There was also several hundred million in damage done to agriculture. | $1.6* CI | 3 |
Eastern Drought/ Summer 1999 | Drought | June 1, 1999 | August 31, 1999 | Very dry summer and high temperatures, mainly in eastern U.S., with extensive agricultural losses. The states impacted include AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, OH, SC, TN, VA, WV and PA. | $4.7 CI | 502 |
Oklahoma and Kansas Tornadoes May 1999 | Severe Storm | May 3, 1999 | May 6, 1999 | Outbreak of F4-F5 tornadoes hit the states of Oklahoma and Kansas, along with Texas and Tennessee, Oklahoma City area hardest hit. | $3.8 CI | 55 |
Central and Eastern Winter Storm January 1999 | Winter Storm | January 1, 1999 | January 4, 1999 | South, Southeast, Midwest, Northeast affected by damaging winter storm | $2.0 CI | 25 |
Hurricane Georges September 1998 | Tropical Cyclone | September 20, 1998 | September 29, 1998 | Category 2 hurricane strikes Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Florida Keys, and Gulf coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida panhandle, 15-30 inch 2-day rain totals in parts of Alabama and Florida | $11.4 CI | 16 |
Southern Drought and Heat Wave Summer 1998 | Drought | June 1, 1998 | August 31, 1998 | Severe drought and heat wave from Texas/Oklahoma eastward to the Carolinas. The states impacted include AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, and VA. | $6.8 CI | 200 |
Western/ Winter-Spring 1998 | Severe Storm | December 1, 1997 | February 28, 1998 | Tornadoes and flooding cause damage across the West and Southeast. The states impacted include CA, TX, FL, AL, GA, LA, MS, NC and SC. | $1.9 CI | 132 |
Hurricane Opal October 1995 | Tropical Cyclone | October 4, 1995 | October 6, 1995 | Category 3 hurricane strikes Florida panhandle, Alabama, western Georgia, eastern Tennessee, and the western Carolinas, causing storm surge, wind, and flooding damage. | $9.5 CI | 27 |
Hurricane Erin August 1995 | Tropical Cyclone | August 1, 1995 | August 7, 1995 | Hurricane Erin impacted Florida as a category 1 hurricane. Most of the damage resulted from heavy rainfall and flooding in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. | $1.7* CI | 6 |
Tropical Storm Alberto July 1994 | Tropical Cyclone | July 7, 1994 | July 10, 1994 | Remnants of slow-moving Alberto bring torrential 10-25 inch rains in 3 days, widespread flooding and agricultural damage in parts of Georgia, Alabama, and panhandle of Florida. | $2.1 CI | 32 |
Southeast Drought and Heat Wave Summer 1993 | Drought | June 1, 1993 | August 31, 1993 | Drought and heat wave across Southeastern U.S. The states most impacted include AL, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, TN, and VA. | $2.7 CI | 16 |
East Coast Blizzard and Severe Weather March 1993 | Winter Storm | March 11, 1993 | March 14, 1993 | The "Storm of the Century" impacts the entire Eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine. This historic storm dumped 2-4 feet of snow and caused hurricane force winds across many Eastern and Northeastern states. This caused power outages to over 10 million households. Additional impacts included numerous tornadoes across Florida causing substantial damage. This was the most destructive and costly winter storm to affect the United States (since 1980), until it was surpassed by the February 2021 winter storm and cold wave. | $12.0 CI | 270 |
Hurricane Andrew August 1992 | Tropical Cyclone | August 23, 1992 | August 27, 1992 | Category 5 hurricane hits Florida and later impacts Louisiana as a category 3. High winds damage or destroy over 125,000 homes and leave at least 160,000 people temporarily homeless in Dade County, Florida alone. Initially rated as a category 4, Andrew was later upgraded to a category 5 upon further analysis. Andrew is one of four land falling category 5 hurricanes on record to affect the U.S. mainland in addition to Hurricane Camille (1969), the Labor Day Hurricane (1935) and Hurricane Michael (2018). Building codes in Florida were enhanced after Andrew to mitigate future hurricane wind damage. | $59.4 CI | 61 |
Severe Storms March 1992 | Severe Storm | March 24, 1992 | March 25, 1992 | Severe storms affect the South, Southeast. The states most impacted include Texas, Louisiana and Florida. | $1.8* CI | 0 |
Winter Storm, Cold Wave December 1989 | Winter Storm | December 21, 1989 | December 26, 1989 | Winter storm and deep cold impacts the Northeast, South and Southeast. The states impacted include AL, AR, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, ME, MO, MS, NC, NH, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT and WV. | $1.7* CI | 100 |
Florida Freeze December 1989 | Freeze | December 23, 1989 | December 25, 1989 | Severe freeze damages citrus crops across central/northern Florida. | $5.1 CI | 10 |
Hurricane Juan October 1985 | Tropical Cyclone | October 27, 1985 | October 31, 1985 | Category 1 hurricane makes landfall near Morgan City, Louisiana. Hurricane Juan's slow movement causes severe flooding in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Southern Louisiana was most severely affected due to widespread rainfall of 10-15 inches that caused substantial flooding. | $4.3 CI | 63 |
Hurricane Elena September 1985 | Tropical Cyclone | August 30, 1985 | September 3, 1985 | Category 3 hurricane approaches the Florida Panhandle prior to landfall near Biloxi, Mississippi. Considerable wind and rain impacts were felt from Florida to Louisiana. | $3.7 CI | 4 |
Florida Freeze January 1985 | Freeze | January 20, 1985 | January 22, 1985 | Severe freeze over central/northern Florida damages citrus crops. | $3.5 CI | 0 |
Winter Storm, Cold Wave January 1985 | Winter Storm | January 19, 1985 | January 22, 1985 | Extreme cold and winter storms in the Southeast, South, Southwest, Northeast, Midwest, and North | $2.5* CI | 150 |
Tornadoes, Severe Storms, Floods Spring 1984 | Severe Storm | March 27, 1984 | April 7, 1984 | States in the Southeast and Northeast regions are impacted by tornadoes, severe storms, and flooding. The states impacted include GA, FL, SC, NC, VA, MD, DE, NJ, NY, PA, CT, MA and RI. | $1.8* CI | 80 |
Freeze / December 1983 | Freeze | December 15, 1983 | December 25, 1983 | Severe freeze damages citrus crops across central/northern Florida. Associated cold wave over much of the U.S. causes over 100 deaths and additional damages. | $6.4 CI | 151 |
Gulf States Storms and Flooding December 1982-January 1983 | Flooding | December 1, 1982 | January 15, 1983 | Severe storms and flooding, especially in the states of TX, AR, LA, MS, AL, GA, and FL | $4.9 CI | 45 |
Midwest/ January 1982 | Winter Storm | January 8, 1982 | January 16, 1982 | Winter storm and cold wave affect numerous states (AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV) across the Midwest, Southeast and Northeast. | $2.2* CI | 85 |
Florida Freeze January 1981 | Freeze | January 12, 1981 | January 14, 1981 | Severe freeze heavily damaged fruit crops across Florida. Over 25,000 Florida farms were impacted and sustained losses. | $2.0* CI | 0 |
†Deaths associated with drought are the result of heat waves. (Not all droughts are accompanied by extreme heat waves.)
Flooding events (river basin or urban flooding from excessive rainfall) are separate from inland flood damage caused by tropical cyclone events.
*Statistics valid as of April 8, 2024
Citing this information:
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2024). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/, DOI: 10.25921/stkw-7w73