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US Disasters Hit $115B: Wildfires Top List
10 Jan
Summary
- 23 weather disasters cost $115 billion in damages during 2025.
- Wildfires caused the costliest disaster, despite no landfalling hurricanes.
- Severe weather events significantly increased, impacting the central U.S.
In 2025, the United States faced a significant onslaught of weather and climate disasters, with 23 separate events each causing over $1 billion in damages. These disasters collectively cost $115 billion, making 2025 the third-most costly year on record. The economic impact was substantial, even without any major hurricanes making landfall. The year was marked by the costliest single disaster being a wildfire outbreak in January 2025, highlighting a concerning trend.
Severe weather events were particularly prevalent, accounting for a record 21 billion-dollar disasters. These were concentrated in intense tornado outbreaks and severe thunderstorms across the central United States during the spring and summer months. Climate Central, now overseeing the "billion-dollar disaster" database, noted that 2025 demonstrated an elevated risk for weather extremes nationwide.
The trend of increasing disaster costs is attributed to a combination of greater exposure and vulnerability, alongside climate change intensifying certain hazards. Since 1980, the U.S. has incurred over $3.1 trillion in damages from 426 billion-dollar disasters. Climate Central is also expanding its analysis to include events costing as low as $100 million to capture a broader range of impacts.
