Record number of disasters in U.S. for 2023: NOAA
A map of the U.S. plotted with 25 weather and climate disasters each costing $1 billion or more that occurred between January and October, 2023. (Image credit: NOAA/NCEI)
NOAA – The United States confirmed a billion-dollar disaster in October, bringing the total to a record 25 disasters in the first 10 months — the largest number of disasters for any year since the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has kept track of these types of events.
Severe thunderstorms brought damaging winds and large hail to parts of the southern Plains from September 23 to 24.
To date, there have been a record 25 separate weather and climate disaster events this year, each with losses exceeding US$1 billion. These disasters consisted of 19 severe storm events, two flooding events, one tropical cyclone, one winter storm, one wildfire event and one drought/heat wave event.
For this year-to-date (YTD) period, the first 10 months of 2023 rank highest for disaster count, ahead of those of 2020 which saw 19 disasters at this point in the year. The total cost of the 2023 events exceeds US$73.8 billion.
The U.S. has sustained 373 separate weather and climate disasters since 1980, where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (including Consumer Price Index adjustment to 2023). The total cost of these 373 events exceeds $2.645 trillion.
A relatively warm October and expanding drought conditions across the Lower Mississippi Valley helped drop water levels to historic lows along parts of the Mississippi River last month.
The average October temperature across the contiguous U.S. was 13.4 degrees Celsius, 1.1 C above the 20th-century average, ranking as the 18th-warmest October in NOAA’s 129-year climate record.
Maine ranked second warmest on record for October, while Vermont and New Hampshire each ranked third warmest. Six other states — Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Rhode Island — each saw a top-10 warmest October on record.
The average precipitation across the Lower 48 was 5.44 centimetres — 0.13 of a cm below average — placing the month in the middle third of the historical October climate record.
North Carolina had its 10th-driest October on record while no state saw an October that ranked among their top-10 wettest Octobers on record.
The average U.S. temperature for the YTD was 13.8 C, one degree above the 20th-century average, ranking as the 11th-warmest such year to date (YTD) in the climate record.
Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas each ranked warmest on record for the YTD, while Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont each ranked second warmest for the January to October period. No state experienced a top-10 coldest such YTD on record.
The U.S. precipitation total for the YTD was 64.8 cm — 0.36 of a cm above average — ranking in the middle third of the January to October climate record. Wyoming and Massachusetts ranked fourth wettest on record for this YTD while Connecticut, Maine, and Nevada each ranked fifth wettest. Meanwhile, Maryland logged its seventh-driest such YTD on record.
Warm temperatures and lack of rainfall resulted in the expansion of drought coverage and intensity across parts of the Mississippi Valley, leading to record-low water levels along parts of the Mississippi River for the second year in a row. The low water levels caused barges and ships to run aground during one of the busiest times of the year to ship grain, and created saltwater intrusion concerns in southern Louisiana.
During early October, record warmth impacted parts of the Northeast. On Oct. 4, the Burlington Airport in Vermont reached 30 C and set a new all-time October record high temperature — breaking a long-standing record high temperature of 27.8 C set in 1891.
Above-normal temperatures also persisted across much of Puerto Rico during October 2023. San Juan International Airport reported a monthly average temperature of 29.7 C, making it Puerto Rico’s hottest October and fifth-warmest month on record.
