In recent decades, some of the costliest natural disasters in America have occurred.

In recent years, numerous natural disasters have caused significant damage across the United States. Which of these catastrophes have resulted in the greatest financial losses?

From 1980 to 2024, the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recorded hundreds of expensive natural disasters.

Since 1980, the US has experienced 403 weather and climate disasters with damages/costs of at least $1 billion, according to the NCEI. The total cost of these events is over $2.915 trillion.

The "Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters" list has nine hurricanes in its top ten spots.

The cost estimates provided by NCEI are not accurate, as there are multiple figures reported for the disasters on the list, including the CPI-adjusted estimated cost, as well as lower and upper bounds at 75%, 90%, and 95% confidence intervals.

1. Hurricane Katrina, $201.3 billion

The estimated CPI-adjusted cost of Hurricane Katrina, which hit the U.S. in 2005, is $201.3 billion. The lower bound for the cost at the 95% confidence interval is $151.3 billion, while the upper bound is $242.8 billion.

"The Category 3 hurricane initially affected the U.S. as a Category 1 near Miami, FL, and later as a strong Category 3 along the eastern LA-western MS coastlines. The storm caused severe damage, including maximum surge exceeding 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."

2. Hurricane Harvey, $160 billion

The second most expensive disaster in the NCEI list, Hurricane Harvey, which struck the U.S. in 2017, is estimated to have cost $160 billion after adjusting for inflation. The lower bound of the 95% confidence interval is $108.8 billion, while the upper bound is $211.2 billion.

A Category 4 hurricane struck near Rockport, Texas, causing significant damage. The devastation caused by Harvey was particularly severe due to the extensive rainfall, resulting in historic flooding across Houston and its surrounding areas.

3. Hurricane Ian, $119.6 billion

The 2022 Hurricane Ian was the third most expensive disaster on the NCEI list, with an adjusted cost of $119.6 billion. The lower bound of the 95% confidence interval is $83 billion, while the upper bound is $155 billion.

As a Category 4 Hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph, Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa, Florida. After slowly crossing Florida, the hurricane re-emerged over the Atlantic as a tropical storm and re-intensified into a Category 1 hurricane on September 30. The hurricane then made landfall near Georgetown, SC, with sustained winds of 85 mph, causing more coastal flood damage and destroying several large piers near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The Rest of the Top 10

The list of costliest hurricanes, after Ian, includes Hurricanes Maria (2017), Sandy (2012), Ida (2021), Helene (2024), Irma (2017), and Andrew (1992), with Maria being the most expensive at $115.2 billion.

In 1988, the "U.S. Drought/Heat Wave" was ranked as the 10th most expensive disaster, with an estimated cost of $54.6 billion after adjusting for inflation.

In 1988, a severe drought affected a significant portion of the United States, resulting in substantial losses to agriculture and related industries. The drought's combined direct and indirect deaths, including those caused by heat stress, were estimated to be around 5,000.

What about wildfires?

Despite the widespread attention given to the wildfires in California, the NCEI's list does not rank them among the top 10.

The costliest fires in 2018, according to NCEI, were the Western Wildfires and California Firestorm, with an estimated $30 billion, CPI-adjusted.

In 2018, the Camp fire was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). The fire resulted in 85 deaths and destroyed 18,804 structures, CAL FIRE reports.

The Palisades and Eaton fires in January 2025 have already ranked third and fourth on the list of most devastating state wildfires, with over 5,300 and 5,000 structures destroyed respectively, although the numbers are not yet final.

The estimated damage and economic loss from the California fires is between $135 billion and $150 billion according to AccuWeather's preliminary estimate.

The NCEI has named the 2023 Maui wildfires "Hawaii Firestorm" and estimates the CPI-adjusted cost to be $5.7 billion. Meanwhile, AccuWeather predicts that the 2024 Hurricane Helene will cost between $225 billion and $250 billion.