Hurricane Season Caused Estimated $500 Billion in Loss and Damage

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The now-ending 2024 record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season is estimated to have cost the United States around $500 billion in total damage and economic loss, Accu Weather reports.

While this year’s “devastating” season saw fewer storms than forecasters had predicted, five hurricanes and one unnamed sub-tropical storm made landfall in the US between June 1 and the end of November.

“This has been a tremendously expensive and devastating hurricane season,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said in a statement. “Coastal communities were devastated by wind and storm surge damage. Catastrophic flooding ripped apart mountain towns hundreds of miles away from the shore.”
“The 2024 hurricane season will be remembered for shattering records and causing approximately $500 billion in total damage and economic loss. For perspective, this would equate to nearly 2 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product,” Porter said.

In addition to the economic costs, 230 people lost their lives as a direct result of this year’s hurricanes and tropical storms, Accu Weather reports. Moreover, Accu Weather experts support the findings of recent research showing that each hurricane can contribute to 7,000-11,000 excess deaths within 15 years of the storm.

“The damage and suffering from hurricanes and extreme weather [are] often much greater than what is initially reported and what insurance typically covers, AccuWeather Founder and Executive Chairman Dr. Joel N. Myers said in a statement. “The long-term effects of weather disasters are harmful to longevity. People experience trauma, they lose their possessions, they end up with less money to rebuild, pay for health expenses, and eventually retire.”

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