Extreme Weather Impacts Cost More Than $300 Billion in the U.S.

Extreme weather-induced losses in the U.S.

AccuWeather® Global Weather Center – Dec. 18, 2025 - Seven major weather disasters in the United States resulted in $378 billion to $424 billion in total damage and economic loss this year, according to preliminary estimates from AccuWeather® experts.  

“The financial impact from extreme weather in America this year is staggering, even without a single hurricane landfall or a major fire impacting a highly populated area during the peak of the wildfire season,” AccuWeather® Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said. 

AccuWeather® experts estimate that catastrophic impacts from Hurricane Melissa resulted in $48 billion to $52 billion in total damage and economic loss in the western Caribbean. 

2025 AccuWeather Preliminary Estimates for Total Damage and Economic Loss 

• Catastrophic wildfires destroy neighborhoods near Los Angeles 

$250B - $275B 

• Rare atmospheric river flooding and tornado outbreak in the central U.S. 

$80B - $90B 

• Hurricane Melissa causes catastrophic damage in the Caribbean 

$48B - $52B 

• Texas Hill Country flash flood disaster claims more than 100 lives 

$18B - $22B 

• Historic winter storm brings snow to the Gulf Coast 

$14B - $17B 

• More than 70 tornadoes strike the central U.S. during May outbreak 

$9B - $11B 

• Tropical Storm Chantal triggers flash flooding in the Carolinas 

$4B - $6B 

• October tropical wind and rainstorm causes widespread coastal flooding 

$3B 

“Millions of people across America are dealing with disaster fatigue. Families and businesses are struggling to rebuild and recover from flash floods, wildfires, tornadoes and other forms of extreme weather. The human impact is measured not just in the heartbreaking loss of life, but in higher insurance costs, rising rents and mortgages payments, lost jobs and long-term stress, physical and mental health challenges,” Porter said. “In recent years, our nation has faced destructive hurricane landfalls and major wildfires during the late summer and fall months. The lack of major weather disasters in the second half of this year has provided people and businesses with a much-needed break. Thousands of people and small businesses are still trying to recover from the catastrophic and costly impacts of extreme weather in 2024.” 

This is the first year that the costliest weather disasters occurred during the first half of the year, since AccuWeather® experts started to issue preliminary estimates of total damage and economic loss for extreme weather events in 2017. 

“The most destructive and costly weather disaster in the U.S. struck in the very first days of the year. Wind-driven infernos swept through neighborhoods near Los Angeles and Malibu, including some of the most expensive real estate in the country. Thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed. The January wildfires intensified the ongoing insurance affordability and availability crisis in California,” Porter explained. “A historic and disruptive winter storm brought snow and ice to the Southeast and Gulf Coast in January. A rare atmospheric river funneled months' worth of rain into the central U.S. in a matter of days, triggering widespread flooding in April. Severe weather outbreaks produced dozens of destructive tornadoes in May, including one tornado that ripped through parts of the St. Louis metro area. Dozens of lives were tragically lost to extreme weather in the first half of this year. The recovery could take years, if not a decade or longer, in some of the hardest-hit communities.”