NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
New York Summary
From 1980–2024 (as of July 9, 2024), there have been 91 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect New York. These events included 4 drought events, 5 flooding events, 1 freeze event, 46 severe storm events, 14 tropical cyclone events, and 21 winter storm events. The 1980–2023 annual average is 1.9 events (CPI-adjusted); the annual average for the most recent 5 years (2019–2023) is 4.4 events (CPI-adjusted).
| Disaster Type | Events | Events/Year | Percent Frequency | Total Costs | Percent of Total Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | 4 | 0.1 | 4.4% | $500M-$1.0B | 0.8% |
| Flooding | 5 | 0.1 | 5.5% | $2.0B-$5.0B | 2.8% |
| Freeze | 1 | 0.0 | 1.1% | $5M-$100M | 0.1% |
| Severe Storm | 46 | 1.0 | 50.5% | $2.0B-$5.0B | 5.2% |
| Tropical Cyclone | 14 | 0.3 | 15.4% | $50.0B-$100.0B | 81.7% |
| Wildfire | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Winter Storm | 21 | 0.5 | 23.1% | $5.0B-$10.0B | 9.5% |
| All Disasters | 91 | 2.0 | 100.0% | $50.0B-$100.0B | 100.0% |
| Drought | 4 | 0.1 | 5.1% | $250M-$500M | 0.7% |
| Flooding | 5 | 0.1 | 6.3% | $1.0B-$2.0B | 2.7% |
| Freeze | 1 | 0.0 | 1.3% | $5M-$100M | 0.0% |
| Severe Storm | 40 | 0.9 | 50.6% | $2.0B-$5.0B | 5.0% |
| Tropical Cyclone | 13 | 0.3 | 16.5% | $50.0B-$100.0B | 83.9% |
| Wildfire | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Winter Storm | 16 | 0.4 | 20.3% | $2.0B-$5.0B | 7.6% |
| All Disasters | 79 | 1.8 | 100.0% | $50.0B-$100.0B | 100.0% |
| Time Period | Billion-Dollar Disasters | Events/ | Cost | Percent of Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s (1980-1989) | 7 | 0.7 | $1.0B-$2.0B | 1.5% |
| 1990s (1990-1999) | 14 | 1.4 | $5.0B-$10.0B | 6.7% |
| 2000s (2000-2009) | 14 | 1.4 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 3.9% |
| 2010s (2010-2019) | 29 | 2.9 | $50.0B-$100.0B | 69.7% |
| Last 5 Years (2019-2023) | 22 | 4.4 | $10.0B-$20.0B | 17.6% |
| Last 3 Years (2021-2023) | 17 | 5.7 | $10.0B-$20.0B | 15.9% |
| Last Year (2023) | 7 | 7.0 | $500M-$1.0B | 1.1% |
| All Years (1980-2024)* | 91 | 2.0 | $50.0B-$100.0B | 100.0% |
| 1980s (1980-1989) | 1 | 0.1 | $5M-$100M | 0.0% |
| 1990s (1990-1999) | 11 | 1.1 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 4.2% |
| 2000s (2000-2009) | 14 | 1.4 | $2.0B-$5.0B | 3.4% |
| 2010s (2010-2019) | 26 | 2.6 | $20.0B-$50.0B | 70.4% |
| Last 5 Years (2019-2023) | 22 | 4.4 | $10.0B-$20.0B | 21.3% |
| Last 3 Years (2021-2023) | 17 | 5.7 | $10.0B-$20.0B | 19.3% |
| Last Year (2023) | 7 | 7.0 | $500M-$1.0B | 1.5% |
| All Years (1980-2024)* | 79 | 1.8 | $50.0B-$100.0B | 100.0% |
| Event | Type | Begin Date |
End Date |
Summary |
CPI-AUnadjusted Estimated Cost (in Billions) |
Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Central, Southern, Eastern Severe Weather May 2024 | Severe Storm | May 18, 2024 | May 22, 2024 | Severe storms across many central, southern and eastern states produced widespread impacts from several dozen tornadoes, severe hail and high winds. The states most impacted were Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa and Wisconsin, as each experienced considerable damage to homes, vehicles, businesses, agriculture and additional infrastructure. On May 21, an EF-4 tornado cut a 44-mile path across southeast Iowa, with peak wind speeds of 175-185 mph. The town of Greenfield, Iowa was heavily damaged. Multiple 'Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS)' watches were issued by NOAA's National Weather Service for these states, during this multi-day sequence. Several eastern states also sustained high wind damage from these storms. | $4.8 CI | 5 |
Southern and Eastern Severe Weather April 2024 | Severe Storm | April 8, 2024 | April 11, 2024 | Southern and eastern severe weather produced tornadoes, hail and high wind, from Texas to Virginia. The event began with severe hail and high wind impacts across central and eastern Texas, followed by more than 20 tornadoes impacting the Gulf Coast counties of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. There were additional high wind and tornado impacts in North Carolina and Virginia. | $2.2 CI | 0 |
Central Tornado Outbreak and Eastern Severe Weather April 2024 | Severe Storm | April 1, 2024 | April 3, 2024 | A central tornado outbreak produced more than 85 tornadoes across a three-day period from Oklahoma to West Virginia. This outbreak included 19 EF-0, 52 EF-1 and 14 EF-2 tornadoes, which were most concentrated across the Ohio River Valley on April 1-2. These tornadoes and severe weather impacts across several eastern states caused damage to homes, businesses, vehicles and other infrastructure. | $2.5 CI | 3 |
Central and Eastern Severe Weather February 2024 | Severe Storm | February 27, 2024 | February 28, 2024 | Severe storms produced two dozen tornadoes, hail and high wind impacts across northern Illinois, central Ohio and southern Michigan. There were additional high wind impacts focused across northern Kentucky and northern Georgia causing damage to homes, vehicles, businesses and other infrastructure. | $1.3 CI | 0 |
Central, Southern, Northeastern Winter Storm and Cold Wave January 2024 | Winter Storm | January 14, 2024 | January 18, 2024 | A bitterly cold airmass affected numerous central and southern states most including Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and Georgia. This long-duration cold wave produced sleet and freezing rain accumulations into the deep south, across much of Mississippi. High winds also pushed wind chills well below zero for many states contributing to dozens of fatalities, many in Tennessee. Damage also occurred to homes, vehicles and businesses from the high winds and frozen precipitation. | $2.1 CI | 41 |
Southern Tornado Outbreak and East Coast Storm January 2024 | Severe Storm | January 8, 2024 | January 10, 2024 | Southern tornado outbreak and east coast storm impacted more than a dozen states. At least 39 preliminary tornadoes were clustered around the Florida Panhandle through the Carolinas while hundreds of high wind reports were scattered up the East Coast reflecting damage to homes, businesses, vehicles and other infrastructure. The strongest tornado was an EF-3 that caused significant damage around Panama City Beach, Florida, after an intense waterspout moved onshore. | $2.8 CI | 3 |
East Coast Storm and Flooding December 2023 | Flooding | December 16, 2023 | December 18, 2023 | Powerful east coast storm from Florida to Maine produced widespread impacts from heavy rainfall, flooding, high winds and coastal erosion. The heavy rainfall and snowmelt were amplified by record-high temperatures in the Northeast. | $1.3 CI | 5 |
Northeastern and Eastern Severe Weather August 2023 | Severe Storm | August 5, 2023 | August 8, 2023 | More than one thousand reports of high wind, severe hail or tornadoes across many Northeastern and Eastern states. August 7 was a prolific day of severe weather with damage reports from Georgia to New York. These storms caused impacts to many homes, vehicles, businesses, agriculture and other infrastructure. | $1.7 CI | 4 |
Northeastern Flooding and North Central Severe Weather July 2023 | Flooding | July 9, 2023 | July 15, 2023 | Severe storms brought devastation and flooding to portions of the Northeast, as areas reported up to eight inches of rain within a 24-hour period. Montpelier, Vermont received a record-breaking 5.28 inches of rain, flooding the city and damaging thousands of homes and businesses. The wide scale flooding in Vermont was similar to the flood impacts from Hurricane Irene in 2011. Early estimates put the flood damage in West Point, New York at more than $100 ($103.0) million. There was also considerable damage to roads, bridges and agriculture across the Northeast. Severe storms also caused high wind and hail impacts across Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois. | $2.2 CI | 10 |
Rockies Hail Storms and Central and Eastern Severe Weather June 2023 | Severe Storm | June 21, 2023 | June 26, 2023 | Severe hail storms across Colorado damaged many homes, vehicles and injured approximately 100 people at a large outdoor concert. This multi-day outbreak of severe weather also produced more than 60 tornadoes across portions of Wyoming, Colorado, Minnesota, Indiana, Kentucky and Arkansas that caused damage to homes, businesses, vehicles, agriculture and other infrastructure. | $5.4 CI | 8 |
Central Tornado Outbreak and Eastern Severe Weather March 2023 | Severe Storm | March 31, 2023 | April 1, 2023 | A historic tornado outbreak across numerous central states caused widespread damage from at least 145 tornadoes. States most impacted were Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Iowa, Arkansas, Tennessee and Pennsylvania where there was severe damage to homes, businesses, vehicles, agriculture and other infrastructure. | $5.9 CI | 33 |
Southern and Eastern Severe Weather April 2023 | Severe Storm | March 24, 2023 | March 26, 2023 | Southern and eastern severe storms including more than 40 tornadoes caused damage across Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee to many homes, businesses, vehicles and other infrastructure. Additional high wind damage occurred in parts of Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. | $2.9 CI | 23 |
Northeastern Winter Storm/ February 2023 | Winter Storm | February 2, 2023 | February 5, 2023 | A strong winter storm produced snow, high winds and bitter cold across numerous Northeastern states. High winds caused widespread power outages in Massachusetts while Mount Washington, New Hampshire observed a wind chill temperature of -108 degrees Fahrenheit. This was one of the coldest wind chill temperatures ever recorded in the United States. | $1.8 CI | 1 |
Central and Eastern Winter Storm and Cold Wave December 2022 | Winter Storm | December 21, 2022 | December 26, 2022 | Historic winter storm and powerful arctic front caused significant impact across much of the nation, bringing heavy rains, snow, ice and high winds that sent temperatures plummeting. More than 200 million people were under a winter weather advisory or warning and more than a million customers, from Texas to Maine, were left without power. Buffalo, New York was paralyzed by near hurricane force winds and continuous snow squalls, which contributed to dozens of fatalities in the region. Additional impacts were widespread frozen water pipes that led to extensive water damage in many homes, businesses and to other critical infrastructure. | $8.9 CI | 87 |
North Central and Eastern Severe Weather July 2022 | Severe Storm | July 22, 2022 | July 24, 2022 | Severe weather with high winds and 19 tornadoes impact numerous states including North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and New York. Many homes, businesses, vehicles, agriculture and other infrastructure were damaged. | $1.4 CI | 1 |
Central Derecho June 2022 | Severe Storm | June 13, 2022 | June 13, 2022 | A powerful derecho carved a path a high wind damage across several states with the impacts focused in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. Thousands of trees were downed from the high winds causing damage to many homes, businesses, vehicles, power lines and other infrastructure. There was also considerable hail damage across southern Wisconsin. | $3.4 CI | 1 |
Southeast Tornado Outbreak April 2022 | Severe Storm | April 4, 2022 | April 6, 2022 | A tornado outbreak on April 4-6 with a combined 100 preliminary tornadoes reported. The tornadoes occurred across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. Many of these tornadoes were clustered along the southern regions of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. During this three-day period many of these tornadoes were rated as either EF-1 or EF-0, but there were also nine EF-2, three EF-3 and one EF-4 tornado. This EF-4 occurred in Pembroke, Georgia on April 5th with winds of 185 mph that destroyed several neighborhoods. Many of the other tornadoes across the South caused considerable damage to homes, businesses, vehicles, and other infrastructure. | $1.5 CI | 3 |
Southeast, Central Tornado Outbreak December 2021 | Severe Storm | December 10, 2021 | December 10, 2021 | Historic December tornado outbreak across several southeast and central states caused devastating damage across many towns and cities. This outbreak produced two long-tracked EF-4 tornadoes across Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky. The longest tornado track was nearly 166 miles across Kentucky and a small portion of Tennessee. This was the longest-tracked tornado on record in Kentucky and was a U.S. record tornado track length for the month of December. There were over 800 total miles of tornado path length on December 10. The peak intensity from this outbreak was EF-4 rated wind speeds of 190 mph in Mayfield, Kentucky. This day was also the deadliest December tornado outbreak recorded in the United States surpassing the Vicksburg, Mississippi tornado of December 5, 1953, which caused 38 fatalities. | $4.4 CI | 93 |
Hurricane Ida August 2021 | Tropical Cyclone | August 29, 2021 | September 1, 2021 | Category 4 Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (240km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 930 mb. Ida was one of three hurricanes in recorded history to make landfall in Louisiana with 150 mph winds, along with Hurricane Laura in 2020 and the 'Last Island' hurricane of 1856. Grand Isle, Louisiana took a direct hit with 100% of its homes damaged and nearly 40% were nearly-to-completely destroyed. There was heavy damage to the energy infrastructure across southern Louisiana causing widespread, long duration power outages to millions of people. Parts of New Orleans were without power for nearly a week due to the widespread damage. As the remnants of Ida moved into the Northeast it merged with a frontal system creating severe weather and flash flooding across a wide region from eastern Pennsylvania to New York. Flash flood emergencies were declared in New Jersey and New York for the first time, producing damage to homes, businesses, vehicles and infrastructure while also causing dozens of fatalities. | $84.6 CI | 96 |
Tropical Storm Fred August 2021 | Tropical Cyclone | August 16, 2021 | August 18, 2021 | Tropical Storm Fred made landfall near Panama City, Florida. As Fred progressed northward it caused torrential flooding across the southern Appalachian Mountains with more than a foot of rainfall reported in some locations of western North Carolina. This flash flooding caused damage to many homes, businesses, vehicles, roads and bridges, in additional to several fatalities. Fred also produced nearly a dozen tornadoes across the Northeast as it moved up the East Coast. | $1.5 CI | 7 |
Tropical Storm Elsa July 2021 | Tropical Cyclone | July 7, 2021 | July 9, 2021 | Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall in Taylor County, Florida producing heavy rain, wind, flooding and tornadoes in portions of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, as well as flooding across parts of the Northeast. Southern New England and New York's Long Island experienced flash flooding, leading to impassable roads, stranded vehicles and disruption. Elsa was the earliest fifth-named storm on record. | $1.4 CI | 1 |
Southeast Tornadoes and Severe Weather March 2021 | Severe Storm | March 24, 2021 | March 25, 2021 | At least 41 tornadoes impact several states including Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. These included one EF-4, four EF-3s, ten EF-2s and approximately two-dozen EF-1 or EF-0 tornadoes. The strongest of these tornadoes were focused across central Alabama and western Georgia with tracks across the entire width of Alabama. There was widespread damage to homes, businesses, vehicles and infrastructure. | $2.0 CI | 6 |
Northwest, Central, Eastern Winter Storm and Cold Wave February 2021 | Winter Storm | February 10, 2021 | February 19, 2021 | Historic cold wave and winter storm impacts many northwest, central and eastern states. Temperature departures exceeding 40.0 degrees F (22.2 degrees C) below normal occurred from Nebraska southward to Texas. The prolonged arctic air caused widespread power outages in Texas, as well as other southern states, with multiple days of sustained below-freezing temperatures. At the peak of the outage, nearly 10 million people were without power. Additional impacts were frozen water pipes, which burst upon thawing causing water damage to buildings. These extreme conditions also caused or contributed to the direct and indirect deaths of more than 210 people in Texas alone. This count does not include excess mortality that may be hundreds of additional deaths. There were also snow and ice impacts across numerous states including Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. This is now the costliest U.S. winter storm event on record, more than doubling the inflation-adjusted cost of the 'Storm of the Century' that occurred in March 1993. | $27.0 CI | 262 |
Hurricane Isaias August 2020 | Tropical Cyclone | August 3, 2020 | August 4, 2020 | Hurricane Isaias made landfall in southeastern North Carolina as a category 1 storm. Isaias accelerated up the East Coast, resulting in widespread damage and power outages across New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. There was also considerable inland flooding most notably in Pennsylvania. In addition, 34 tornadoes developed across North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey due to Isaias. Many tornadoes were weaker (EF-0 and EF-1) producing scattered damage to agriculture, structures and residences. Isaias also produced several EF-2 tornadoes and one EF-3 tornado that caused damage in coastal North Carolina and Virginia. | $5.8 CI | 16 |
Southeast and Eastern Tornado Outbreak April 2020 | Severe Storm | April 12, 2020 | April 13, 2020 | Outbreak of at least 140 tornadoes from Texas to Maryland including 3 EF4s, 12 EF3s, 20 EF2s, 77 EF1s and 28 EF0s. Damage was extensive and highly destructive to many homes, vehicles and businesses across more than a dozen Southeast and Eastern states. | $4.2 CI | 35 |
South, East and Northeast Severe Weather February 2020 | Severe Storm | February 5, 2020 | February 7, 2020 | Severe weather across many South, East and Northeastern states including AL, FL, GA, SC, LA, MS, TN, NC, VA, PA, RI, NY, NJ, MD and MA. There were more than 20 tornadoes clustered across central Mississippi into Tennessee. There were also hundreds of high wind damage reports from Florida to New Jersey, with the Carolinas and Florida receiving the most costly damage. | $1.5 CI | 3 |
Southeast Tornadoes and Northern Storms and Flooding January 2020 | Severe Storm | January 10, 2020 | January 12, 2020 | More than 80 tornadoes and severe storms caused damage across many southeastern states (AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MS, MO, NC, OH, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI). Storms and severe flooding also impacted northern states including Michigan, Wisconsin and New York. Significant damage occurred along the shoreline of Lake Michigan to roads, the foundation of homes and to Port Milwaukee. These powerful waves were generated by high winds and a lack of seasonal ice cover. | $1.4 CI | 10 |
Southeast, Ohio Valley and Northeast Severe Weather February 2019 | Severe Storm | February 23, 2019 | February 25, 2019 | Tornadoes, severe weather and flooding in the south (MS, AL, TN) and high-wind damage across many Ohio Valley (IL, IN, OH) and Northeastern states (CT, MD, MA, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV). This storm system produced heavy rain that caused major flooding along parts of the Ohio, Mississippi and Tennessee rivers. | $1.5 CI | 2 |
Central and Eastern Severe Weather May 2018 | Severe Storm | May 13, 2018 | May 15, 2018 | Severe storm damage across many Central states including TX, KS, CO, OK, MO, IL, IN, IA and OH. This was followed by a derecho event across the Northeastern states of MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV, MA and CT that caused widespread high wind damage. Also, there were one dozen tornadoes reported across PA, NY and CT causing further damage. | $1.7 CI | 5 |
Central and Northeast Severe Weather May 2018 | Severe Storm | May 1, 2018 | May 4, 2018 | Numerous central states (KS, NE, OK, TX, NM, MO, IA, IL, IN, OH, WI) were impacted by large hail and tornadoes. Several northeastern states including NY, PA and VT were also impacted by high wind damage from severe storms. | $1.7 CI | 0 |
Southern and Eastern Tornadoes and Severe Weather April 2018 | Severe Storm | April 13, 2018 | April 16, 2018 | Tornadoes and severe storms with large hail cause widespread damage across many Southern and Eastern states (AR, FL, GA, LA, MD, MI, MS, MO, NJ, NY, NC, PA, SC, TX, VA) over a multi-day period. There were over 70 confirmed tornadoes largely clustered in Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia. This same system also caused winter storm impacts of high wind and ice accumulation in northeastern states. | $1.6 CI | 3 |
Northeast Winter Storm March 2018 | Winter Storm | March 1, 2018 | March 3, 2018 | Powerful Nor'easter impacted many Northeastern states including MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, CT, DE, RA and VA. Widespread damage resulted from the combination of high winds, heavy snow and heavy coastal erosion. | $2.8 CI | 9 |
Central and Eastern Winter Storm January 2018 | Winter Storm | January 3, 2018 | January 5, 2018 | A Nor'easter caused damage across many Northeastern states including MA, NJ, NY, CT, ME, NH, PA, MD, RI, SC, TN, VA, NC and GA. | $1.3 CI | 22 |
Midwest Severe Weather June 2017 | Severe Storm | June 12, 2017 | June 16, 2017 | Severe hail, high winds and numerous tornadoes impact many states over several days including WY, TX, NE, KS, MO, IA, IL, PA, VA, NY. | $1.9 CI | 0 |
North Central Severe Weather and Tornadoes May 2017 | Severe Storm | May 15, 2017 | May 18, 2017 | Severe weather and tornadoes cause impacts across numerous north central states. The states most impacted were Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. | $1.2* CI | 1 |
Midwest Tornado Outbreak March 2017 | Severe Storm | March 6, 2017 | March 8, 2017 | Tornado outbreak and wind damage across many Midwestern states (AR, IA, IL, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, NY, OH, WI). Missouri and Illinois were impacted by numerous tornadoes while Michigan and New York were affected by destructive, straight-line winds following the storm system. Nearly one million customers lost power in Michigan alone due to sustained high winds, which affected several states from Illinois to New York. | $2.8 CI | 2 |
West/ 2016 | Drought | January 1, 2016 | December 31, 2016 | California's 5-year drought persisted during 2016 while new areas of extreme drought developed in states across the Northeast and Southeast. The long-term impacts of the drought in California have damaged forests where 100+ million trees have perished and are a public safety hazard. The agricultural impacts were reduced in California as water prices and crop fallowing declined. However, agricultural impacts developed in Northeast and Southeast due to stressed water supplies. | $4.6 CI | 0 |
Rockies and Northeast Severe Weather July 2016 | Severe Storm | July 28, 2016 | July 30, 2016 | Severe storms across the Rockies and Northeastern states (CO, WY, VA, MD, PA, NJ, NY) caused large hail and high wind damage. Storm damage in Colorado was the most costly due to hail. | $1.9 CI | 0 |
Southeast and Eastern Tornadoes February 2016 | Severe Storm | February 22, 2016 | February 24, 2016 | Early outbreak of tornadoes and severe weather across many southern and eastern states including (AL, CT, FL, GA, LA, MA, MD, MS, NC, NJ, NY, PA, SC, TX, VA). There were at least 50 confirmed tornadoes causing widespread damage. | $1.4 CI | 10 |
Central and Northeast Severe Weather June 2015 | Severe Storm | June 21, 2015 | June 25, 2015 | Severe storms across numerous Central and Northeast states (CO, CT, IA, IL, MD, MI, NJ, NY, PA, SD, VA, WI) with widespread hail and high wind damage. | $1.5 CI | 1 |
Central and Eastern Winter storm, Cold Wave February 2015 | Winter Storm | February 14, 2015 | February 20, 2015 | A large winter storm and associated cold wave impacted many central, eastern and northeastern states (CT, DE, GA, IL, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA). The city of Boston was particularly impacted as feet of snow continued to accumulate causing load-stress on buildings and clogging transportation corridors. Total, direct losses in Massachusetts alone exceed $1.0 ($1.3) billion for this event, with considerable damage in many other states. | $4.0 CI | 30 |
Michigan and Northeast Flooding August 2014 | Flooding | August 11, 2014 | August 13, 2014 | Heavy rainfall in excess of 5 inches caused significant flooding in cities across Michigan damaging thousands of cars, business, homes and other infrastructure. Flooding also occurred across Maryland and New York's Long Island, as the slow-moving storm system delivered 24-hour rainfall exceeding 6 and 12 inches, respectively, creating more flood damage. Islip, NY received 13.57 inches of rain over a 24-hour period on Aug 12-13 setting a new 24-hour precipitation record for New York. | $1.4 CI | 2 |
Rockies/ May 2014 | Severe Storm | May 18, 2014 | May 23, 2014 | Severe storms across the Rockies, Midwest and Eastern states (CO, MT, IA, IL, IN, OH, SC, VA, PA, DE, NY) with the most costly damage in Colorado, Illinois and Pennsylvania. | $4.9 CI | 0 |
Midwest/ April 2014 | Severe Storm | April 27, 2014 | May 1, 2014 | Tornado outbreak across the Midwest, Southeast and Northeast states (AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, KS, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA) with 83 confirmed tornadoes. Mississippi had its 3rd greatest number of tornadoes reported for any day since 1950. Torrential rainfall in the Florida panhandle also caused major flooding, as Pensacola set new 1-day and 2-day precipitation records of 15.55 and 20.47 inches, respectively. Flooding rains were also reported in coastal Alabama, as Mobile received 11.24 inches of rain, the third greatest calendar day rainfall total for the city. | $2.3 CI | 33 |
Midwest/ January 2014 | Winter Storm | January 5, 2014 | January 8, 2014 | Winter storm caused widespread damage across numerous Midwest, Southeast and Northeastern states (AL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA). | $2.9 CI | 16 |
Midwest/ May 2013 | Severe Storm | May 27, 2013 | May 31, 2013 | Outbreak of tornadoes and severe weather over the Midwest, Plains and Northeast (IL, IN, KS, MO, NY, OK, TX) with 92 confirmed tornadoes including the deadly tornado that struck El Reno, OK. There was also significant damage resulting from hail and straight-line wind. | $2.4 CI | 10 |
Midwest/ May 2013 | Severe Storm | May 18, 2013 | May 22, 2013 | Outbreak of tornadoes and severe weather over the Midwest, Plains and Eastern states (GA, IA, IL, KS, MO, NY, OK, TX) with 59 confirmed tornadoes including the deadly tornado that impacted Moore, OK. Many destructive tornadoes remained on the ground for an extended time. | $3.2 CI | 27 |
U.S. Drought/ 2012 | Drought | January 1, 2012 | December 31, 2012 | The 2012 drought is the most extensive drought to affect the U.S. since the 1930s. Moderate to extreme drought conditions affected more than half the country for a majority of 2012. The following states were affected: CA, NV, ID, MT, WY, UT, CO, AZ, NM, TX, ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, AR, MO, IA, MN, IL, IN, GA. Costly drought impacts occurred across the central agriculture states resulting in widespread harvest failure for corn, sorghum and soybean crops, among others. The associated summer heat wave also caused 123 direct deaths, but an estimate of the excess mortality due to heat stress is still unknown. | $41.7 CI | 123 |
Hurricane Sandy October 2012 | Tropical Cyclone | October 30, 2012 | October 31, 2012 | Extensive damage across several northeastern states (MD, DE, NJ, NY, CT, MA, RI) due to high wind and coastal storm surge, particularly NY and NJ. Damage from wind, rain and heavy snow also extended more broadly to other states (NC, VA, WV, OH, PA, NH), as Sandy merged with a developing Nor'easter. Sandy's impact on major population centers caused widespread interruption to critical water/electrical services and also caused 159 deaths (72 direct, 87 indirect). Sandy also caused the New York Stock Exchange to close for two consecutive business days, which last happened in 1888 due to a major winter storm. | $88.5 CI | 159 |
Southern Plains/ May 2012 | Severe Storm | May 25, 2012 | May 30, 2012 | Severe storms over the southern plains, midwest and northeast (TX, OK, KS, MN, PA, NY) with 27 confirmed tornadoes. Significant damage also from severe hail and straight-line winds. | $3.2 CI | 1 |
Northeastern Winter Storm October 2011 | Winter Storm | October 29, 2011 | October 30, 2011 | Winter storm impacts northeastern states including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hamsphire, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. | $1.3* CI | 1 |
Tropical Storm Lee September 2011 | Tropical Cyclone | September 1, 2011 | September 5, 2011 | Wind and flood damage across the southeast (LA, MS, AL, GA, TN) but considerably more damage from record flooding across the northeast (PA, NY, NJ, CT, VA, MD). Pennsylvania and New York were most affected. | $3.5 CI | 21 |
Hurricane Irene August 2011 | Tropical Cyclone | August 26, 2011 | August 28, 2011 | Category 1 hurricane made landfall over coastal NC and moved northward along the Mid-Atlantic Coast (NC, VA, MD, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, VT) causing torrential rainfall and flooding across the Northeast. Wind damage in coastal NC, VA, and MD was moderate with considerable damage resulting from falling trees and power lines, while flooding caused extensive flood damage across NJ, NY, and VT. Over seven million homes and businesses lost power during the storm. Numerous tornadoes were also reported in several states further adding to the damage. | $18.8 CI | 45 |
Groundhog Day Blizzard February 2011 | Winter Storm | February 1, 2011 | February 3, 2011 | A large winter storm impacted many central, eastern and northeastern states. The city of Chicago was brought to a virtual standstill as between 1 and 2 feet of snow fell over the area. | $2.6 CI | 36 |
Midwest/ July 2010 | Severe Storm | July 20, 2010 | July 23, 2010 | Severe storms and flooding affect the states IA, IL, MD, NY, PA, WI across the Midwest and Northeast. | $1.4* CI | 0 |
Northeast Flooding March 2010 | Flooding | March 1, 2010 | March 31, 2010 | Heavy rainfall over portions of the Northeast in late March caused extensive flooding across several states (RI, CT, MA, NJ, NY, PA). The event caused the worst flooding in Rhode Island's history. | $2.7 CI | 11 |
Midwest/ June 2008 | Severe Storm | June 6, 2008 | June 12, 2008 | An outbreak of tornadoes and thunderstorms over the Midwest/Mid-Atlantic states (IA, IL, IN, KS, NE, MI, MN, MO, OK, WI, MD, VA, WV). | $2.4 CI | 18 |
Western, Central and Northeast Severe Weather January 2008 | Severe Storm | January 4, 2008 | January 9, 2008 | Strong storm produces severe weather including hail, high winds and heavy precipitation from California to New York. Flash floods and landslides cause damage in California. In addition, more than 70 tornadoes were reported from Arkansas to Wisconsin, with the highest concentration of tornadoes in Missouri. | $1.5 CI | 12 |
Western/ Summer-Fall 2007 | Drought | June 1, 2007 | November 30, 2007 | Severe drought with periods of extreme heat over most of the southeast and portions of the Great Plains, Ohio Valley, and Great Lakes area, resulting in major reductions in crop yields, along with very low stream-flows and lake levels. Includes states of ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, TX, MN, WI, IA, MO, AR, LA, MS, AL, GA, NC, SC, FL, TN, VA, WV, KY, IN, IL, OH, MI, PA, NY. | $5.5 CI | 15 |
East/ April 2007 | Severe Storm | April 13, 2007 | April 17, 2007 | Flooding, hail, tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms across numerous states (CT, DE, GA, LA, ME, MD, MA, MS, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, SC, TX, VT, VA) in mid-April, including 3 "killer" tornadoes. | $3.8 CI | 9 |
Northeast Flooding June 2006 | Flooding | June 25, 2006 | June 28, 2006 | Severe flooding over portions of the northeast due to several weeks of heavy rainfall, affecting the states of NY, PA, DE, MD, NJ, and VA. | $2.4 CI | 20 |
Hurricane Jeanne September 2004 | Tropical Cyclone | September 15, 2004 | September 29, 2004 | Category 3 hurricane makes landfall in east-central Florida, causing considerable wind, storm surge, and flooding damage in FL, with some flood damage also in the states of GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, DE, NJ, PA, and NY. Puerto Rico also affected. | $12.4 CI | 28 |
Hurricane Ivan September 2004 | Tropical Cyclone | September 12, 2004 | September 21, 2004 | Category 3 hurricane makes landfall on Gulf coast of Alabama, with significant wind, storm surge, and flooding damage in coastal AL and FL panhandle, along with wind/flood damage in the states of GA, MS, LA, SC, NC, VA, WV, MD, TN, KY, OH, DE, NJ, PA, and NY. | $33.8 CI | 57 |
Hurricane Frances September 2004 | Tropical Cyclone | September 3, 2004 | September 9, 2004 | Category 2 hurricane makes landfall in east-central Florida, causing significant wind, storm surge, and flooding damage in FL, along with considerable flood damage in the states of GA, SC, NC, and NY due to 5-15 inch rains. | $16.2 CI | 48 |
Severe Storms, Hail, Tornadoes May 2004 | Severe Storm | May 21, 2004 | May 27, 2004 | Severe storms including tornadoes and hail cause damage across the Midwest, South, Southeast and Northeast regions. The states impacted include IA, IL, IN, KY, MI, MO, NC, NE, NY, OK, OH and WI. | $1.7 CI | 4 |
Hurricane Isabel September 2003 | Tropical Cyclone | September 18, 2003 | September 19, 2003 | Category 2 hurricane makes landfall in eastern North Carolina, causing considerable storm surge damage along the coasts of NC, VA, and MD, with wind damage and some flooding due to 4-12 inch rains in NC, VA, MD, DE, WV, NJ, NY, and PA. | $9.3 CI | 55 |
Southern Derecho and Eastern Severe Weather July 2003 | Severe Storm | July 21, 2003 | July 23, 2003 | Derecho across several southern states with the most focused damage across the Memphis, Tennessee metro area. Severe storms impact states across the South, Southeast, Midwest and Northeast regions including AR, AL, MS, GA, FL, SC, TN, KY, MI, NY, OH, PA and VT. | $1.7 CI | 7 |
Severe Storms/ April 2003 | Severe Storm | April 4, 2003 | April 7, 2003 | Severe storms and large hail over the southern plains and lower MS valley, with Texas hardest hit, and much of the monetary losses due to hail. | $3.4 CI | 3 |
U.S. Drought Spring-Fall 2002 | Drought | March 1, 2002 | November 30, 2002 | Moderate to extreme drought over large portions of more than 30 states, including the western states, the Great Plains, and much of the eastern U.S. | $15.9 CI | 0 |
Severe Storms and Tornadoes April 2002 | Severe Storm | April 27, 2002 | April 28, 2002 | Numerous tornadoes and widespread hail damage over the Central and Eastern states including NC, GA, VA, TX, AR, MO, MS, TN, IL, IN, KY, PA, MD, NY, OH, WV, and KS. | $3.7 CI | 7 |
Hurricane Floyd September 1999 | Tropical Cyclone | September 14, 1999 | September 16, 1999 | Large, category 2 hurricane makes landfall in eastern NC, causing 10-20 inch rains in 2 days, with severe flooding in NC and some flooding in SC, VA, MD, PA, NY, NJ, DE, RI, CT, MA, NH, and VT. | $12.1 CI | 77 |
Central and Eastern Winter Storm Mid-January 1999 | Winter Storm | January 13, 1999 | January 16, 1999 | Winter storm affecting the Central and Eastern states including IL, IN, OH, MI, WV, VA, MD, PA, NJ, NY, MA, CT, VT, NH and ME. | $1.7* CI | 0 |
Central and Eastern Winter Storm January 1999 | Winter Storm | January 1, 1999 | January 4, 1999 | South, Southeast, Midwest, Northeast affected by damaging winter storm | $2.0 CI | 25 |
Central and Eastern Severe Storms and Flooding June 1998 | Severe Storm | June 20, 1998 | June 24, 1998 | Severe storms and flooding impact numerous Central and Eastern states. In particular, these storms and floods affected many residences and businesses throughout north-central and eastern Ohio. More than 7,000 homes were affected and more than 1,000 structures were completely destroyed or declared uninhabitable. | $1.7* CI | 12 |
Northern Plains and Great Lakes Derecho, Tornadoes June 1998 | Severe Storm | May 30, 1998 | June 2, 1998 | Severe storms in late May through early June hit the Midwest, North, Northeast, and Southeast | $2.2 CI | 20 |
Northeast Ice Storm January 1998 | Winter Storm | January 5, 1998 | January 9, 1998 | Intense ice storm hits Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York, with extensive forestry losses | $2.7 CI | 16 |
Mississippi and Ohio Valley Severe Weather and Flooding March 1997 | Severe Storm | February 28, 1997 | March 5, 1997 | Tornadoes and severe flooding hit the states of AR, MO, MS, TN, IL, IN, KY, OH, and WV, with over 10 inches of rain in 24 hours in Louisville. | $1.9 CI | 67 |
Blizzard/ January 1996 | Winter Storm | January 1, 1996 | January 31, 1996 | Very heavy snowstorm (1-4 feet) over Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast; followed by severe flooding in parts of same area due to rain and snowmelt. | $6.1 CI | 187 |
Southeast Ice Storm February 1994 | Winter Storm | February 8, 1994 | February 13, 1994 | Intense ice storm with extensive damage in portions of TX, OK, AR, LA, MS, AL, TN, GA, SC, NC, and VA. | $6.4 CI | 9 |
Winter Storm, Cold Wave January 1994 | Winter Storm | January 17, 1994 | January 20, 1994 | Winter storm affects the Southeast and Northeast regions. The states impacted include CT, DE, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT and WV. | $2.2 CI | 70 |
East Coast Blizzard and Severe Weather March 1993 | Winter Storm | March 11, 1993 | March 14, 1993 | The "Storm of the Century" impacts the entire Eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine. This historic storm dumped 2-4 feet of snow and caused hurricane force winds across many Eastern and Northeastern states. This caused power outages to over 10 million households. Additional impacts included numerous tornadoes across Florida causing substantial damage. This was the most destructive and costly winter storm to affect the United States (since 1980), until it was surpassed by the February 2021 winter storm and cold wave. | $12.1 CI | 270 |
Northeast Winter Storm December 1992 | Winter Storm | December 10, 1992 | December 13, 1992 | Slow-moving winter storm batters northeast U.S. coast, with the New England region hardest hit. The states impacted include VA, MD, DE, PA, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA and WV. | $5.5 CI | 19 |
Hurricane Bob August 1991 | Tropical Cyclone | August 18, 1991 | August 20, 1991 | Category 2 hurricane brushes the Outer Banks of North Carolina before making landfall in Rhode Island. Its impacts were felt from North Carolina to Long Island and into New England. | $3.5 CI | 18 |
Severe Storms, Tornadoes March 1991 | Severe Storm | March 26, 1991 | March 29, 1991 | Severe storms hit the Midwest, Southeast, Northeast. The states impacted include KS, IL, MI, IN, MS, TN, KY, OH, AL, PA, NY, GA, SC and NC. | $1.5* CI | 0 |
Winter Storm, Cold Wave December 1989 | Winter Storm | December 21, 1989 | December 26, 1989 | Winter storm and deep cold impacts the Northeast, South and Southeast. The states impacted include AL, AR, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, ME, MO, MS, NC, NH, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT and WV. | $1.7* CI | 100 |
Hurricane Gloria September 1985 | Tropical Cyclone | September 26, 1985 | September 28, 1985 | Category 2 hurricane makes several landfalls along the eastern seaboard, affecting states from North Carolina to Maine. | $2.5* CI | 11 |
Ohio and Pennsylvania Tornado Outbreak June 1985 | Severe Storm | May 31, 1985 | May 31, 1985 | Historic tornado outbreak caused widespread damage across eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania into New York and Canada. Dozens of tornadoes caused widespread destruction to many homes, businesses, farms and infrastructure. 89 people also lost their lives, which made this tornado outbreak the most deadly across the U.S. during the 1980s. There were also more than 1,000 reports of injury. | $1.8* CI | 89 |
Winter Storm, Cold Wave January 1985 | Winter Storm | January 19, 1985 | January 22, 1985 | Extreme cold and winter storms in the Southeast, South, Southwest, Northeast, Midwest, and North | $2.5* CI | 150 |
Tornadoes, Severe Storms, Floods Spring 1984 | Severe Storm | March 27, 1984 | April 7, 1984 | States in the Southeast and Northeast regions are impacted by tornadoes, severe storms, and flooding. The states impacted include GA, FL, SC, NC, VA, MD, DE, NJ, NY, PA, CT, MA and RI. | $1.8* CI | 80 |
Freeze/ December 1983 | Freeze | December 15, 1983 | December 25, 1983 | Severe freeze damages citrus crops across central/northern Florida. Associated cold wave over much of the U.S. causes over 100 deaths and additional damages. | $6.4 CI | 151 |
Midwest/ January 1982 | Winter Storm | January 8, 1982 | January 16, 1982 | Winter storm and cold wave affect numerous states (AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV) across the Midwest, Southeast and Northeast. | $2.2* CI | 85 |
†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.
*Statistics valid as of July 9, 2024
Citing this information:
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2024). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/, DOI: 10.25921/stkw-7w73