2023’s list of billion-dollar disasters shattered the US record with 28 weather and climate disasters during Earth’s hottest year on record

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Straten vol water in het centrum van Montpelier, Virginia, op 11 juli 2023. <a href=Kylie Cooper/Getty Images” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/VgZEdGfYKueoPtsMjQA41w–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTcwMw–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_conversation_us_articles_815/6d134146e96e 6ea185981d8c3d1537e3″ data-src= “https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/VgZEdGfYKueoPtsMjQA41w–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTcwMw–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_conversation_us_articles_815/6d134146e96e6ea18 5981d8c3d1537e3″/>

National weather analysts released their “billion-dollar disaster list” for 2023 on January 9, just as 2024 was off to a wild start. A snowstorm swept across the Plains and the Midwest, and the South and East faced flood risks from extreme rains.

The US set an unwelcome record for weather and climate disasters in 2023, with 28 disasters exceeding the scale of US disasters.

2023’s list of billion-dollar disasters shattered the US record with 28 weather and climate disasters during Earth’s hottest year on record

National weather analysts released their “billion-dollar disaster list” for 2023 on January 9, just as 2024 was off to a wild start. A snowstorm swept across the Plains and the Midwest, and the South and East faced flood risks from extreme rains.

The US set an unwelcome record for weather and climate disasters in 2023, with 28 disasters each exceeding $1 billion in damage.

While it wasn’t the most expensive year overall — the most expensive years included multiple hurricane strikes — it had the highest number of billion-dollar storms, floods, droughts and fires since records began in 1980, with six more than any other year. years, taking inflation into account.

De miljardenrampen van 2023. Klik op de afbeelding om uit te vouwen. <a href=NOAA” data-src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/lebSoZbrOybc7a2ZOf5jqg–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY4Ng–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_conversation_us_articles_815/ec6d8484cddc673 6e90d237726653643″/>
The billion-dollar disasters of 2023. Click on the image to expand. NOAA

The year’s costliest disaster began with an unprecedented heat wave that lingered over Texas for weeks during the summer and then spread into the South and Midwest, fueling a devastating drought. The extreme heat and lack of rain dried up fields, forced ranchers to sell their livestock and limited trade on the Mississippi River, causing about $14.5 billion in damage, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Hawaii’s extreme drought has contributed to another multi-billion dollar disaster as it caused devastating wildfires that devastated Lahaina, Hawaii, in August.

Other multibillion-dollar disasters included Hurricane Idalia, which struck Florida in August; flooding in the Northeast and California; and nearly two dozen other severe storms across the country. States spanning an area from Texas to Ohio were hit by multi-billion dollar storms.

Een natuurbrand legde in augustus 2023 bijna de hele stad Lahaina, Hawaï, in de as. <a href=AP Photo/Rick Bowmer” data-src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/cZk9mHiN3M5Lc84VK2qLLw–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTYyOQ–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/the_conversation_us_articles_815/7cda7fc135 a48e7be9ec3cb8273ca4ec”/>
A wildfire burned almost the entire city of Lahaina, Hawaii, in August 2023. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

El Niño has played a role in some of these disasters, but global warming is behind the world’s increasingly common extreme heat and weather events. The year 2023 was the warmest year on record worldwide and the fifth warmest year in the US

I am an atmospheric scientist who studies the changing climate. Here’s a quick look at what global warming has to do with wildfires, storms, and other weather and climate disasters.

Dangerous heat waves and devastating forest fires

When greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide from vehicles and power plants, build up in the atmosphere, they act like a thermal blanket that warms the planet.

These gases let in high-energy solar radiation while absorbing the outgoing low-energy radiation in the form of heat from the Earth. The energy imbalance at the Earth’s surface gradually increases the surface temperature of the land and oceans.

The most immediate consequence of this warming will be more days of abnormally high temperatures, as large parts of the country saw in 2023.

Phoenix went 30 days with daily high temperatures of 110°F (43.3°C) or higher and recorded the highest minimum overnight temperature, with temperatures never dropping below 97°F (36.1°C) on July 19.

Although heat waves result from weather fluctuations, global warming has raised the baseline, making heat waves more frequent, intense, and longer lasting.

That heat also causes forest fires.

The increased evaporation removes more moisture from the soil, causing the soil, grasses and other organic matter to dry out, creating favorable conditions for wildfires. All it takes is a lightning strike or spark from a power line to start a fire.

How global warming is causing extreme storms

As more heat is stored as energy in the atmosphere and oceans, not only does the temperature rise, but the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere can also increase.

When that water vapor condenses into liquid and falls as rain, a large amount of energy is released. This is called latent heat and is the main fuel for all storm systems. When temperatures are higher and the atmosphere contains more moisture, that extra energy can create stronger, longer-lasting storms.

Tropical storms are similarly fueled by latent heat from warm ocean water. That is why they only form when the sea surface temperature reaches a critical level of about 27 degrees Celsius.

With 90% of the excess heat from global warming being absorbed by the ocean, global sea surface temperatures have risen significantly, reaching record-breaking levels by 2023.

Higher sea surface temperatures could lead to stronger hurricanes, longer hurricane seasons and faster intensification of tropical storms.

Cold spells are also related to global warming

It may seem counterintuitive, but global warming could also be contributing to a cold snap in the US. That’s because it changes the general circulation of the Earth’s atmosphere.

Earth’s atmosphere is constantly moving in large-scale circulation patterns in the form of wind belts near the surface, such as the trade winds, and jet streams at higher levels. These patterns are caused by the temperature difference between the polar regions and the equatorial regions.

As the Earth warms, the polar regions are warming more than twice as fast as the equator. This can change weather patterns, leading to extreme events in unexpected places. Anyone who has ever experienced a “polar vortex event” knows what it feels like when the jet stream drops south, bringing with it cold Arctic air and winter storms, despite generally warmer winters.

In short, a warmer world is a more violent world, with the extra heat causing increasingly extreme weather conditions.

This article, originally published on December 19, 2023, was updated on January 9, 2024 with NOAA’s annual list of billion-dollar disasters.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit organization providing facts and analysis to help you understand our complex world.

It was written by: Shuang-Ye Wu, University of Dayton.

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Shuang-Ye Wu does not work for, consult with, own shares in, or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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