Private sector revives climate disaster database Trump tried to squash

The Trump administration halted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's tracking of that data set in May.

“There were 23 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the United States last year, adding up to a total of $115 billion in damages, according to a new report from the climate research nonprofit Climate Central”

CNN

Climate Central has established the Billion-Dollar Disasters Database to fill this gap.

CNN

The database allows taxpayers, media and researchers to track the cost of natural disasters.

It primarily tracks property losses spanning extreme events from hurricanes to hailstorms.

This represents a shift toward private-sector climate data collection responsibilities.

Climate Central hired Adam Smith, who had produced the disaster reports for NOAA.

Smith left government service amid cuts made across the oceans and atmosphere agency.

Futura

He brought the database and its methodology with him to Climate Central.

This transfer represents institutional knowledge moving from government to non-profit.

The move demonstrates how federal budget cuts affected climate monitoring capabilities.

The database has been especially useful for the insurance and real estate industries.

“There were 23 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the United States last year, adding up to a total of $115 billion in damages, according to a new report from the climate research nonprofit Climate Central”

CNN

These sectors rely on historical disaster data for risk assessment and premium setting.

The database provides concrete evidence of fossil fuel effects on extreme weather.

It serves as a critical tool for public tracking of climate change financial impacts.

The initiative fills the void left by Trump administration's discontinuation of NOAA tracking.

There were 23 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the US last year.

These disasters resulted in a total of $115 billion in damages.

Futura

The data shows increasing frequency and severity of billion-dollar disasters.

This evidence highlights growing economic consequences of climate change.

Private-sector database ensures continued availability of critical climate information.