U.S. Already Has 23 Billion Dollar Disasters in 2023

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Climate|Record Number of Billion-Dollar Disasters Shows the Limits of America’s Defenses https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/12/climate/billion-dollar-disasters.html Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT RECORD NUMBER OF BILLION-DOLLAR DISASTERS SHOWS THE LIMITS OF AMERICA’S DEFENSES The country has been hit by 23 large-scale disasters since January, and hurricane season is far from over.
The United States has suffered 23 billion-dollar disasters so far in 2023, a record for this point in the year that highlights the country’s struggle to adapt to the effects of climate change.
The list, compiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, includes the fire in Maui that killed at least 115 people, the deadliest United States wildfire in more than a century; Hurricane Idalia, which struck western Florida as a Category 3 storm; and a storm in Minnesota that dropped hail the size of pingpong balls, cutting off power for more than 25,000 homes and businesses.
A version of this article appears in print on Sept. 13, 2023, Section A , Page 17 of the New York edition with the headline: Billion-Dollar Disasters Hit a Record 23 in 2023.