Turn on the news on any given day and you’re likely to see coverage of wild weather whipping the country. From raging wildfires out west, tornados tearing through Tornado Alley to hurricanes along our coasts, it doesn’t only seem like extreme weather events are on the rise – they are.
Did you know?
● In 2018, there were 14 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disaster events across the United States, with a total cost of $91 billion. These included devastating hurricanes, like Florence and Michael, baseball-sized hail storms, andCalifornia’s costliest, deadliest and largest wildfires in history.
● So far this year (as of April 2019), there have already been extreme weather and natural disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each across the United States. These events included flooding in the Midwest, severe storms across the U.S., and destructive tornadoes. Alabama, for example, has already endured an above average number of tornadoes in the state.
● June 1st brings the start of Hurricane Season in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Colorado State University is predicting at least five hurricanes with two potentially as major storms – Category Three or higher.
The widespread threat of weather disasters stretches from coast to coast, so even if you don’t think you are in an area prone to a threat, it's important to be prepared for whatever weather event might strike.
