July sees U.S. 2nd-highest number of YTD billion-dollar disasters: NOAA

The United States has been hit with record heat, wildfires and Hurricane Beryl in July alone, with the country experiencing the second highest number of year-to-date billion dollar disasters, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

July 2024 is second only to 2023, as by July of that year there had been 21 weather and climate disasters, and a total of 28 natural catastrophe events by the end of the year.

From 1980 to 2023 the annual average was 8.5 events (CPI-adjusted), but data regarding the annual average for the most recent five years (2019–2023) has revealed it is 20.4 events (CPI-adjusted).

A total of 19 weather and climate disasters were seen in July 2024, with losses exceeding $1 billion each.

These events included 15 severe storm events, 1 tropical cyclone event, 1 wildfire event, and 2 winter storm events. Overall, these perils resulted in the deaths of 149 people and caused more than $49.6 billion in damages.

These were the result of a mix of above average heat and precipitation in the country, with some states experiencing a very dry period.

July 2024 saw average temperature across the country of 75.7 degrees F (2.1 degrees F above average), ranking as the 11th warmest in the 130-year record, according to the NOAA.

Temperatures were above average to record-warm across much of the contiguous U.S. California and New Hampshire had their warmest July on record, with 19 other states seeing their top-10 warmest July on record.

Precipitation in July across the country was 3.04 inches – 0.26 of an inch above average – ranking in the wettest third of the historical record.

Most of the South, Southeast, Midwest, Great Lakes and northern New England experienced above average precipitation, with Illinois having its seventh wettest July, while North Carolina had its eighth wettest.

On the other hand, precipitation was below average across much of the West, eastern parts of the Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic, southern Florida and across portions of the Plains. West Virginia had its eighth-driest July on record.

Year to date, January through July 2024, average temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 54.4 degrees F (3.2 degrees F above average), ranking as the second-warmest YTD on record, according to NOAA data.

The YTD precipitation total was 20.44 inches, 2.36 inches above average, which ranked 11th, wettest on record.