First Half of 2025 Becomes Costliest on Record for U.S. Disasters

First Half of 2025 Becomes Costliest on Record for U.S. Disasters
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The first six months of 2025 marked the most expensive start to any year for major U.S. disasters, driven by severe wildfires and storms across the country, The Guardian reported. According to Climate Central, 14 separate weather events, each causing at least $1 billion in damages, resulted in a combined cost of $101 billion — the highest first-half total since records began in 1980.

The largest share of losses came from the devastating wildfires that swept through Los Angeles in January, destroying about 16,000 buildings and indirectly claiming around 400 lives. The fires caused an estimated $61 billion in damages, ranking among the costliest climate-related disasters in U.S. history.

Climate Central revived the federal tracking of billion-dollar disasters, which the Trump administration discontinued in May after ending the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) dataset. The organization said it aims to fill the information gap for researchers and policymakers as climate-driven disasters intensify.

Adam Smith, a former NOAA expert now with Climate Central, noted that extreme weather events have surged since 2017, saying climate change is “supercharging” their frequency and severity. Experts also voiced concern over the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) reduced capacity, following budget cuts and staffing reductions.

Samantha Montano of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy warned that FEMA’s weakened state poses serious risks amid escalating climate threats. While 2025 has so far avoided major hurricanes, scientists cautioned that the nation remains highly vulnerable to future extreme events as the climate crisis deepens.