Over the last several decades, various types of natural disasters have wreaked havoc around the U.S., but which cataclysms have cost the most?

The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) lists hundreds of costly disasters that occurred from 1980 through 2024.

“The U.S. has sustained 403 weather and climate disasters since 1980 where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (including CPI adjustment to 2024). The total cost of these 403 events exceeds $2.915 trillion,” the NCEI notes.

AccuWeather’s preliminary estimate for the damage and economic loss associated with the fires ravaging parts of California is $135 billion to $150 billion. 

AccuWeather estimates $13 billion to $16 billion for the 2023 Maui wildfires and $225 billion to $250 billion for 2024 Hurricane Helene. The NCEI lists the 2023 Maui fire as “Hawaii Firestorm” and indicates an estimated CPI-adjusted cost of $5.7 billion.