U.S. weather disasters hit $35 bil. for 2011 — with 4 months to go
By Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times
The weather is costing America a lot of money.
A new report from the National Climatic Data Center shows that in 2011 alone, there have been nine U.S. weather-related disasters that have each caused more than $1 billion in damages. The report estimates these disasters have cost the U.S. $35 billion so far this year.
And we’ve still got four months left to go.
The most expensive of the 2011 disasters detailed in the report is the series of tornadoes that hit the central and southern states from April 25-30. States affected include Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Texas and Oklahoma. A total of 305 tornadoes swept through those states, causing total losses greater than $9 billion.
It was also the deadliest disaster. The tornadoes killed 327 people.