Alaska Summary
From 1980-2024, there were 8 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect Alaska. These events included 8 wildfire events. The 1980–2024 annual average is 0.2 events (CPI-adjusted); the annual average for the most recent 5 years (2020–2024) is 0.2 events (CPI-adjusted).
Disaster Type | Events | Events/Year | Percent Frequency | Total Costs | Percent of Total Costs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Drought | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Flooding | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Freeze | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Severe Storm | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Tropical Cyclone | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Wildfire | 8 | 0.2 | 100.0% | $2.0B-$5.0B | 100.0% |
Winter Storm | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
All Disasters | 8 | 0.2 | 100.0% | $2.0B-$5.0B | 100.0% |
Time Period | Billion-Dollar Disasters | Events/ | Cost | Percent of Total Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
1980s (1980-1989) | 0 | 0.0 | $0M | 0% |
1990s (1990-1999) | 0 | 0.0 | $0M | 0% |
2000s (2000-2009) | 5 | 0.5 | $1.0B-$2.0B | 56.4% |
2010s (2010-2019) | 2 | 0.2 | $500M-$1.0B | 39.9% |
Last 5 Years (2020-2024) | 1 | 0.2 | $5M-$100M | 3.7% |
Last 3 Years (2022-2024) | 1 | 0.3 | $5M-$100M | 3.7% |
Last Year (2024) | 0 | 0.0 | $0M | 0% |
All Years (1980-2024) | 8 | 0.2 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 100.0% |
Event | Type | Begin Date |
End Date |
Summary |
CPI-A djusted Estimated Cost (in Billions) |
Deaths |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Western Wildfires Spring-Fall 2022 | Wildfire | April 1, 2022 | November 30, 2022 | Severe drought conditions and periods of extreme heat provided conditions favorable for another damaging western wildfire season most focused across New Mexico, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California and Alaska. The Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak Fires in New Mexico merged in April consuming over 340,000 acres. This became the largest and most destructive wildfire on record in New Mexico - damaging or destroying over 1,000 structures. Other large wildfires included the Double Creek Fire (Oregon), the Moose Fire (Idaho), the Mosquito Fire (California), the Trail Creek Fire (Montana) and the Lime Complex Fire (Alaska), among many others. Over 7.5 million acres burned nationally during the 2022 wildfire season. | $3.3 CI | 17 |
California and Alaska Wildfires Summer-Fall 2019 | Wildfire | June 1, 2019 | November 30, 2019 | California experienced a damaging wildfire season in 2019, largely resulting from the Kincade and Saddle Ridge wildfires. In addition, a key California electrical utility provider turned off power to millions of homes and businesses several times during days with forecasted high winds and extremely dry conditions. This step was designed to minimize wildfires, with some success, but it also caused billions of dollars in losses to those affected. Alaska also suffered a near-historic wildfire season with more than 2.5 million acres burned. These wildfire conditions were primed due to Alaska's record-breaking heat and dry conditions during the summer months. July 2019 was the warmest month ever recorded in Alaska. | $5.5 CI | 3 |
Western and Alaskan Wildfires Summer-Fall 2015 | Wildfire | June 1, 2015 | November 30, 2015 | Wildfires burned over 10.1 million acres across the U.S. in 2015, surpassing 2006 for the highest annual total of U.S. acreage burned since record-keeping began in 1960. The most costly wildfires occurred in California where over 2,500 structures were destroyed due to the Valley and Butte wildfires with the insured losses alone exceeding $1.0 ($1.3) billion. The most extensive wildfires occurred in Alaska where over 5 million acres burned within the state. There was extensive burnt acreage across other western states, most notably (OR, WA, ID, MT, ND, CO, WY, TX). | $4.0 CI | 12 |
Western Wildfires Summer-Fall 2009 | Wildfire | June 1, 2009 | November 30, 2009 | Residual and sustained drought conditions across western and south-central states resulted in thousands of wildfires. Most affected states include CA, AZ, NM, TX, OK, and UT. National wildfire acreage burned exceeds 5.9 million acres. Over 200 homes and structures destroyed in the California "Station" fire alone. | $1.5 CI | 10 |
Western Wildfires Summer 2007 | Wildfire | June 1, 2007 | August 31, 2007 | Continued drought conditions and high winds over much of the western U.S. (AK, AZ, CA, ID, UT, MT, NV, OR, WA) resulting in numerous wildfires; with national acreage burned exceeding 8.9 million acres (mainly in the west) and over 3,000 homes and structures destroyed in southern California alone. | $4.1 CI | 12 |
Numerous Wildfires 2006 | Wildfire | January 1, 2006 | December 31, 2006 | Numerous wildfires driven by dry weather and high winds burned over 9.8 million acres, across the western half of the country including Alaska. This is the second highest annual total behind the 10.1 million acres burned in 2015 since record-keeping began in 1960. The most affected states were AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, ID, MT, NM, NV, OK, OR, TX, WA, WY | $2.3 CI | 28 |
California Wildfires Fall 2003 | Wildfire | September 1, 2003 | November 30, 2003 | Dry weather, high winds, and resulting wildfires in Southern California burned over 3,700 homes. Nearly 4.0 million acres burned across numerous western states including Alaska. | $6.6 CI | 22 |
Western Fire Season Fall 2002 | Wildfire | September 1, 2002 | November 30, 2002 | Major wildfires over 11 western states from the Rockies to the west coast due to drought and periodic high winds, with over 7.1 million acres burned. | $2.3 CI | 21 |
†Deaths associated with drought are the result of heat waves. (Not all droughts are accompanied by extreme heat waves.)
Flooding events (river basin or urban flooding from excessive rainfall) are separate from inland flood damage caused by tropical cyclone events.
Citing this information:
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2025). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/, DOI: 10.25921/stkw-7w73