A key U.S. database tracking weather and climate disasters with losses exceeding $1 billion has been relaunched after being discontinued earlier this year. The revitalized system, now operated by a nonprofit research organisation, maintains records from 1980 onwards and adjusts for inflation. In its first half-year report, it shows at least 14 major disaster events in 2025 alone, with combined damages exceeding $101 billion. The scale of losses underscores how extreme weather events have grown increasingly frequent and severe over recent decades.
As federal tracking ended this spring, the new version steps in to preserve continuity of data crucial for identifying risk trends, underwriting insurance, and supporting planning efforts. Despite improved resilience in some sectors, analysts warn that without robust data collection the nation may struggle to anticipate and mitigate future disaster costs.
