WASHINGTON -- With hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, tornadoes and drought, America hit a record high bill last year for weather disasters: US$306 billion.
The said Monday that the U.S. had 16 billion-dollar disasters last year. That ties 2011 for the number of billion-dollar disasters, but the total cost of damages blew past the previous record of $215 billion in 2005.
With 16 totaling ~$306B, 2017 was costliest year on record for USA:
鈥� NOAA (@NOAA)
NOAA says Hurricane Harvey cost $125 billion, second only to 2005's Katrina, while Maria cost $90 billion, ranking third. Irma was $50 billion.
The weather agency also says that 2017 was the with an annual temperature of 54.6 degrees (12.6 degrees Celsius). Only 2012 and 2016 were warmer. Records go back to 1895.
