Report: Extreme weather costing taxpayers billions
By Alex Seitz-Wald, NBC News
WASHINGTON — Climate change is costing taxpayers billions of dollars in disaster relief and the tab will only increase as extreme weather events become more common, according to a new government study.
The federal government has spent an estimated $350 billion over the past decade responding to extreme weather and fire events, which are exacerbated by climate change, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. It comes as Congress moves to approve billions of dollars in extra funding for hurricane relief.
“Climate change impacts are already costing the federal government money, and these costs will likely increase over time as the climate continues to change,” the report found.
