U.S. Temperatures and Billion-Dollar Disasters

The document reports that 2021 was the 4th hottest year on record for the U.S., characterized by 20 billion-dollar disasters totaling $145 billion in damages. It highlights a long-term warming trend from 1970 to 2021 and a significant increase in the frequency of high-cost disasters compared to historical averages.

• In 2021, the United States experienced 20 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters, resulting in an estimated 688 deaths and $145 billion in damages. This volume of disasters is significantly higher than the long-term average of 7 billion-dollar disasters per year recorded since 1980.
• The frequency of billion-dollar disasters has increased, with the average time between such events decreasing from 82 days in the 1980s to 18 days during the 2016-2020 period.
• The U.S. is experiencing a sustained warming trend; 2021 was the 4th hottest year on record, with an annual average temperature 2.5°F above the 20th century average. Seven of the top 10 hottest years on record have occurred since 2000, and the top six have occurred since 2012.
• Between 1970 and 2021, annual average temperatures increased for 98% of 246 monitored U.S. locations. Of these, 67% warmed by more than 2°F and 28% warmed by more than 3°F, with the highest warming observed in the Southwest region, specifically in Reno, Las Vegas, and El Paso.
• Global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels increased by 5% in 2021 compared to 2020, returning to levels seen before the pandemic.

APA

Smith, A., Gleason, K., & Mora, C. (2022). U.S. Temperatures and Billion-Dollar Disasters. Climate Central. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/us-temps-billion-dollar-disasters

Chicago

Smith, Adam, Karin Gleason, and Camilo Mora. U.S. Temperatures and Billion-Dollar Disasters. Climate Central, 2022. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/us-temps-billion-dollar-disasters.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Smith |first1=Adam |last2=Gleason |first2=Karin |last3=Mora |first3=Camilo |title=U.S. Temperatures and Billion-Dollar Disasters |publisher=Climate Central |date=10 January 2022 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/us-temps-billion-dollar-disasters |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{smith2022temperatures, author = {Smith, Adam and Gleason, Karin and Mora, Camilo}, title = {{U.S. Temperatures and Billion-Dollar Disasters}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2022}, month = jan, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/us-temps-billion-dollar-disasters}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }