2021 has been a record-challenging year for billion-dollar weather disasters in the Lower 48, which are becoming more frequent thanks to climate change plus increasing population and wealth. @KerrinJeromin reports: https://t.co/kE7GUY8Hey (1/x)

2020 set the record for most billion-dollar disasters but 2021 is neck and neck with it and, already, 2021 has a higher overall price tag of $104.8 billion. (2/x) https://t.co/aYTlCdXyHS

By far, Hurricane Ida has been the most expensive disaster of 2021, estimated at $64.5 billion. It now ranks as the 5th most expensive U.S. hurricane on record, only trailing:
1) Katrina (2005)
2) Harvey (2017)
3) Maria (2017)
4) Sandy (2012)
(3/x) https://t.co/hs3ZPpDVby

A worrisome trend is that U.S. billion-dollar weather disasters are occurring closer and closer together. In the 1980s, they averaged every 82 days, now they average every 18 days, @climatecentral finds. This means we have less time to recover. (4/x) https://t.co/DjiEa5muSv

The toll of billion-dollar disaster goes far beyond their price tag. 538 people haved died in 2021's 18 events, more than all of last year. And these damage estimates do not take into account effects on human health and well-being nor the ecological impacts. (5/5)