by National weather analysts released their 2023 “billion dollar disaster list” on Jan. 9, just as 2024 got off to a rocky start. A blizzard was sweeping across the plains and Midwest, and flooding threatened the South. and on the East because of great floods.
The US set an unwelcome record for weather and climate disasters in 2023, with 28 disasters surpassing the US
National weather analysts released their 2023 “billion dollar disaster list” on Jan. 9, just as 2024 got off to a rocky start. A blizzard was sweeping across the plains and Midwest, and flooding threatened the South. and on the East because of great floods.
The US set an unwelcome record for weather and climate disasters in 2023, with 28 disasters exceeding US$1 billion in damage each.
While it wasn’t the costliest year overall – the costliest years included multiple hurricane strikes – the number of billion-dollar storms, floods, droughts and fires in any year since counting began in 1980, with six ones more than any other. year, accounting for inflation.
The costliest disaster of the year began with an unprecedented heat wave that sat over Texas for weeks over the summer and then spread into the South and Midwest, helping to fuel a devastating drought. The extreme heat and lack of rain dried up fields, forced farmers to sell livestock and restricted commerce on the Mississippi River, causing an estimated US$14.5 billion in damage, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
A severe drought in Hawaii contributed to a multi-billion dollar disaster as it fueled devastating wildfires that destroyed Lahaina, Hawaii, in August.
Other billion-dollar disasters included Hurricane Idalia, which hit Florida in August; flooding in the Northeast and California; and nearly two dozen other severe storms across the country. Multiple billion-dollar storms hit states in a swath from Texas to Ohio.
El Niño played a role in some of these disasters, but global warming is at the heart of the increasingly frequent heat and weather on Earth. 2023 was the warmest year on record worldwide and the fifth warmest in the US
I am an atmospheric scientist who studies climate change. Here’s a quick look at what global warming is doing with wildfires, storms and other weather and climate disasters.
Dangerous heat waves and devastating wildfires
When greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide from vehicles and power plants, accumulate in the atmosphere, they act as a thermal blanket that warms the planet.
These gases let in high-energy solar radiation while absorbing low-energy outgoing radiation in the form of heat from Earth. The energy imbalance at the Earth’s surface gradually increases the surface temperature of the land and oceans.
The most direct consequence of this warming is more days with extremely high temperatures, as seen in large parts of the country in 2023.
Phoenix went 30 days with daily high temperatures at 110 F (43.3 C) or higher and recorded the highest overnight minimum temperature, and the temperature on July 19 did not drop below 97 F (36.1 C).
Although heat waves are caused by weather fluctuations, global warming has raised the baseline, making heat waves more frequent, more intense and longer.
That heat also fuels wildfires.
Increased evaporation removes more moisture from the ground, drying out soil, grass and other organic matter, creating favorable conditions for wildfires. All it takes is a lightning strike or a spark from a power line to start a fire.
How global warming triggers extreme storms
As more heat is stored as energy in the atmosphere and oceans, it not only raises the temperature – it can also increase the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere.
When that water vapor condenses into a liquid and falls as rain, it releases a large amount of energy. This is called latent heat, and is the main fuel for all storm systems. When temperatures are higher and there is more moisture in the atmosphere, that extra energy can fuel stronger and longer storms.
Tropical storms also gain latent heat from warm ocean water. That’s why they only form when the sea surface temperature reaches a critical level of around 80 F (27 C).
With the ocean absorbing 90% of the excess heat from global warming, global sea surface temperatures have increased significantly, including record highs in 2023.
Higher sea surface temperatures can lead to stronger hurricanes, longer hurricane seasons and tropical storms.
Cold snaps also have global warming links
It may seem counterintuitive, but global warming can also contribute to cold snaps in the US That is because it changes the general circulation of the Earth’s atmosphere.
The Earth’s atmosphere is constantly moving in large-scale circulation patterns in the form of near-surface wind belts, such as the trade winds, and high-level jet streams. These patterns are caused by the temperature difference between the Polar and Equatorial regions.
As the Earth warms, the polar regions are warming more than twice as fast as the equator. This can change weather patterns, causing extreme events in unexpected places. Anyone who has experienced a “polar vortex event” knows what it feels like when the jet stream drops south, bringing frigid Arctic air and winter storms, despite the usually warmer winters.
In short, a warmer world is a more violent world, with the added heat fueling more extreme weather events.
This article, originally published December 19, 2023, was updated January 9, 2024, with NOAA’s list of annual billion dollar disasters.
This article is republished from The Conversation, a non-profit, independent news organization that brings you facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world.
It was written by: Shuang-Ye Wu, University of Dayton.
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Shuang-Ye Wu does not work for, consult with, hold shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has not disclosed any relevant connections beyond their academic appointment.
