Record Global Temperatures and U.S. Billion-Dollar Disasters

The document reports that 2023 is virtually certain to be the hottest year on record, with global surface temperatures from January to November 2023 ranking highest in the 144-year record at 1.4°C above the 1881-1910 baseline. In the U.S., 25 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters occurred between January and November 2023, surpassing the previous annual record of 22 in 2020. These events caused an estimated 482 deaths and $81 billion in damages, with severe storms accounting for 76% of these disasters. The average time between such disasters in 2023 dropped to 10 days, compared to 82 days in the 1980s.

• Global temperatures from January through November 2023 were the highest in the 144-year record, measuring 1.4°C (2.52°F) above the 1881-1910 baseline average. It is considered virtually certain that 2023 will be the hottest year on record, featuring six record-breaking months from June to November.
• The United States experienced a record 25 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters between January and November 2023, exceeding the previous record of 22 events in 2020. These disasters resulted in approximately $81 billion in damages and 482 deaths.
• The frequency of billion-dollar disasters in the U.S. has accelerated, with the average time between events falling from 82 days in the 1980s to 18 days between 2018-2022, and further down to 10 days during the first 11 months of 2023.
• Severe storms were the primary driver of billion-dollar disasters in 2023, accounting for 19 of the 25 events (76%). Other significant impacts included a $10.5 billion drought in Southern and Midwestern states and nearly $5 billion in damage from atmospheric rivers in California.

APA

Climate Central (2023). Record Global Temperatures and U.S. Billion-Dollar Disasters. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/record-global-temperatures-and-us-billion-dollar-disasters-2023

Chicago

Climate Central. Record Global Temperatures and U.S. Billion-Dollar Disasters. 2023. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/record-global-temperatures-and-us-billion-dollar-disasters-2023.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Record Global Temperatures and U.S. Billion-Dollar Disasters |date=14 December 2023 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/record-global-temperatures-and-us-billion-dollar-disasters-2023 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2023record, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Record Global Temperatures and U.S. Billion-Dollar Disasters}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2023}, month = dec, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/record-global-temperatures-and-us-billion-dollar-disasters-2023}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }