"Eleven disasters — mostly severe thunderstorm outbreaks — have produced a price tag over $25 billion in the United States, second most on record to date."
"May was another exceptionally busy month for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in the United States, pushing weather disaster costs to their second-highest amount on record to date. Eleven separate billion-dollar weather disasters this year have together caused over $25 billion in damage and 84 deaths.
Two such storm disasters occurred in May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Monday, including the violent storm complex that blasted Houston mid-month, killing seven people.
The repeated, costly thunderstorm outbreaks fit into a trend toward more such incidents that are driving a surge in weather-related property damage and insurance payouts across the United States.
Experts link the uptick to growth and development patterns that place many more homes and businesses in the way of such storms. At the same time, they say certain atmospheric ingredients that fuel these storms are becoming more abundant because of human-caused climate change."
Matthew Cappucci reports for the Washington Post June 11, 2024.
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