These 3 hurricanes were among last year's 18 billion-dollar weather disasters
Last year, the US experienced 18 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters that killed at least 474 people. Hurricanes Ian, Fiona and Nicole were among the billion-dollar weather disasters.
Watch: Hurricane Ian's journey from birth to monster Category 4 storm
Ian Oliver shows Hurricane Ian's journey from tropical depression to monster Category 4 hurricane
From hurricanes to wildfires and everything in between, 18 weather and climate disasters across the U.S. each caused more than $1 billion in damage in 2022.
The disasters also caused at least 474 deaths.
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According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2022 ranked third for the highest number of billion-dollar weather disasters since 1980.
Billion-dollar weather disasters in 2022, according to a NOAA report.
( / FOX Weather)
The average number of billion-dollar weather disasters from 1980 to the present is 7.9 per year. In 2022, the number of billion-dollar disasters totaled 18.
The only other years to surpass 2022 for the number of billion-dollar weather disasters were 2021 and 2020, with 20 and 22 such disasters, respectively.
NOAA noted that last year's 18 billion-dollar weather disasters included the following:
- One winter storm/cold wave event (across the central and eastern U.S.)
- One wildfire event (wildfires across the western U.S., including Alaska)
- One drought and heat wave event (across the western and central U.S.)
- One flooding event (in Missouri and Kentucky)
- Two tornado outbreaks (across the southern and southeastern U.S.)
- Three hurricanes (Fiona, Ian and Nicole)
- Nine severe weather/hail events (across many parts of the country, including a derecho in the central U.S.)
In total, the events caused an estimated $165 billion in damage.
An image showing a home that was destroyed by a tornado in New Boston, Texas, on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022.
(SCV / Joe Idler / FOX Weather)
The costliest event of 2022 was Hurricane Ian. Costing $112.9 billion, Hurricane Ian is now the country’s third-costliest hurricane since 1980, ranking behind only Hurricane Katrina (2005) and Hurricane Harvey (2017).
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Last year was an average but destructive hurricane season with 14 named storms in the Atlantic Basin, according to NOAA.
2022 billion-dollar weather disasters in detail.
(National Centers for Environmental Information / NOAA)
The year, however, saw an above-average number of tornadoes, with 1,331 twisters reported. This was a 9% increase above the 1991-2020 average across the U.S.
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Wildfires were notable as well, particularly in Alaska. About 1.85 million acres of The Last Frontier had burned by July 1, creating the second-highest June total on record and the seventh-highest acreage burned for any calendar month on record for Alaska.