NOAA recorded 28 billion-dollar disasters in the United States that included hurricane events. These storms produced major costs through flood insurance claims, power outages, and infrastructure repairs. The data track how losses reach from individual properties to nationwide recovery programs.
Key Takeaways
- 2023 had 7 hurricanes in the Atlantic basin reaching hurricane strength, contributing to measurable impacts and damage potential across affected regions.
- Hurricane-related disasters in the United States accounted for 11 of the 25 costliest weather and climate disasters since 1980 (in 2023 dollars), highlighting significant economic damage exposure.
- $160 billion was the estimated cost of Hurricane Ian (2022) in the United States, one of the highest hurricane losses on record.
- Hurricane Ida (2021) caused an estimated $75 billion in damages in the United States (2021 dollars).
- Hurricane winds are among the deadliest hurricane hazards: NOAA lists tornadoes spawned by landfalling hurricanes as a major threat to life and property.
- Hurricane Ian (2022) resulted in the loss of communications services: FCC reported that 2.3 million people lost service across impacted states during the event window.
- In the U.S. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the average flood insurance claim payment for hurricanes is measurable in the millions of dollars per major event (claims vary by policy and damage), reflecting high infrastructure damage severity.
- After Hurricane Maria (2017), FEMA reported that 100% of Puerto Rico’s cell towers were affected, illustrating telecommunications repair and recovery challenges at scale.
- After Hurricane Ian (2022), SBA reported billions in disaster loan approval capacity and actual approvals for recovery, with quantifiable loan amounts.
- FEMA’s Disaster Recovery Center operations and infrastructure repair actions after major hurricanes are tied to quantified deadlines and funding approvals for housing repairs and rebuilding.
- The 2022 NOAA Annual U.S. Climate Report states that the U.S. experienced 18 weather and climate disasters in 2022 with costs of at least $1 billion each (including hurricanes).
- In 2023, NOAA reported 28 billion-dollar disasters in the United States, which includes hurricane-related events.
- FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program awarded $2.98 billion in mitigation grants in FY 2023 (including for hazard mitigation against hurricanes and floods).
- A 2018 peer-reviewed study in Nature Climate Change estimated that Atlantic hurricane rainfall rates are increasing, which implies greater flooding damage potential from hurricanes under warming.
- A 2020 peer-reviewed study in Science Advances concluded that warming is increasing the probability of intense hurricanes and related hazards, with measurable changes in intensity distributions.
Seven Atlantic hurricanes in 2023 led to major US damage costs, power outages, and billions in flood insurance losses.
Related reading
01 · Category
Seasonal Activity1 stats
01
2023 had 7 hurricanes in the Atlantic basin reaching hurricane strength, contributing to measurable impacts and damage potential across affected regions.
Interpretation
Seasonal Activity Interpretation
In the Seasonal Activity category, the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season produced 7 hurricanes that reached hurricane strength, underscoring how a single season’s peak activity can drive measurable impact and damage potential across affected areas.
02 · Category
Economic Losses7 stats
01
Hurricane-related disasters in the United States accounted for 11 of the 25 costliest weather and climate disasters since 1980 (in 2023 dollars), highlighting significant economic damage exposure.
02
$160 billion was the estimated cost of Hurricane Ian (2022) in the United States, one of the highest hurricane losses on record.
03
Hurricane Ida (2021) caused an estimated $75 billion in damages in the United States (2021 dollars).
04
Hurricane Harvey (2017) caused an estimated $125 billion in damages in the United States (2017 dollars).
05
Hurricane Sandy (2012) caused an estimated $70 billion in damages in the United States (2012 dollars).
06
Hurricane Maria (2017) caused an estimated $91.6 billion in damages in the United States and territories (2017 dollars).
07
Hurricane Katrina (2005) caused an estimated $125 billion in damages in the United States (2005 dollars).
Interpretation
Economic Losses Interpretation
Under the Economic Losses category, the data show that a handful of major hurricanes have generated extraordinarily high costs, with U.S. disasters accounting for 11 of the 25 costliest events since 1980 and losses ranging from about $70 billion for Sandy to roughly $160 billion for Ian.
03 · Category
Infrastructure Impacts6 stats
01
Hurricane winds are among the deadliest hurricane hazards: NOAA lists tornadoes spawned by landfalling hurricanes as a major threat to life and property.
02
Hurricane Ian (2022) resulted in the loss of communications services: FCC reported that 2.3 million people lost service across impacted states during the event window.
03
In the U.S. National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the average flood insurance claim payment for hurricanes is measurable in the millions of dollars per major event (claims vary by policy and damage), reflecting high infrastructure damage severity.
04
Following Hurricane Sandy (2012), FEMA reported that thousands of households experienced damage and that the event significantly impacted housing and critical infrastructure in multiple states.
05
The U.S. power sector experience from major hurricanes includes large outage counts: EIA noted that hurricanes and related storms cause substantial generating and distribution impacts, quantified via outage reporting by utilities and system operators.
06
FEMA’s NFIP fact base indicates that hurricane and tropical storm flooding claims are a major driver of NFIP claim volumes and losses, reflecting persistent infrastructure and property damage from these events.
Interpretation
Infrastructure Impacts Interpretation
Across the Infrastructure Impacts category, major hurricanes are shown to cause widespread system disruption and expensive damage, including Hurricane Ian where 2.3 million people lost communications service and FEMA-linked NFIP flood losses that routinely run into the millions per major event.
04 · Category
Repair & Recovery8 stats
01
After Hurricane Maria (2017), FEMA reported that 100% of Puerto Rico’s cell towers were affected, illustrating telecommunications repair and recovery challenges at scale.
02
After Hurricane Ian (2022), SBA reported billions in disaster loan approval capacity and actual approvals for recovery, with quantifiable loan amounts.
03
FEMA’s Disaster Recovery Center operations and infrastructure repair actions after major hurricanes are tied to quantified deadlines and funding approvals for housing repairs and rebuilding.
04
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers post-storm debris and cleanup operations are measured via tonnage and project counts; USACE publishes rapid assessments and cleanup metrics after major hurricanes.
05
FEMA’s Public Assistance program funds infrastructure repair after disasters, with measurable cost shares and caps; FEMA’s guidance includes exact federal cost share percentages for eligible work.
06
FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) provides funding that is quantified through federal matching percentages and post-disaster eligibility rules, supporting repair and recovery resilience.
07
The National Flood Insurance Program includes the Post-Disaster Repetitive Claims (PDRR) and Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) measures, which quantify the number of repetitive-loss properties affected by hurricane-driven flooding.
08
FEMA’s Individual Assistance data includes measurable counts of disaster applicants and verified assistance amounts after hurricanes.
Interpretation
Repair & Recovery Interpretation
Across the Repair and Recovery category, hurricanes consistently show telecommunications and recovery systems being overwhelmed at scale, like FEMA’s finding that 100% of Puerto Rico’s cell towers were affected in 2017, while recovery funding and program impacts are tracked with hard numbers such as measurable disaster loan approvals and verified individual assistance amounts after major storms.
05 · Category
Risk & Preparedness7 stats
01
The 2022 NOAA Annual U.S. Climate Report states that the U.S. experienced 18 weather and climate disasters in 2022 with costs of at least $1 billion each (including hurricanes).
02
In 2023, NOAA reported 28 billion-dollar disasters in the United States, which includes hurricane-related events.
03
FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program awarded $2.98 billion in mitigation grants in FY 2023 (including for hazard mitigation against hurricanes and floods).
04
The NFIP is administered through FEMA; as of the latest data release, the NFIP has about 5 million active flood insurance policies in force (covering flood hazards including those from hurricanes).
05
The Insurance Information Institute reports that the U.S. has 2.5 million high-risk flood insurance policies in force, illustrating the scale of hurricane-flood preparedness coverage needs.
06
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates benefits from coastal storm risk management projects using risk models that translate hazard exposure into avoided damages, giving measurable preparedness ROI for flood and hurricane risk.
07
NOAA National Hurricane Center provides probabilistic track and intensity forecasts with a measurable number of forecast advisories and track cone probabilities, supporting preparedness decisions before hurricane impacts.
Interpretation
Risk & Preparedness Interpretation
For the Risk and Preparedness angle, the scale of hurricane and flood exposure is clear as NOAA logged 28 billion dollar disasters in 2023 and the NFIP already covers about 5 million active policies, while FEMA’s BRIC program funded $2.98 billion in mitigation in FY 2023 to help communities reduce these high cost impacts.
06 · Category
Weather & Modeling9 stats
01
A 2018 peer-reviewed study in Nature Climate Change estimated that Atlantic hurricane rainfall rates are increasing, which implies greater flooding damage potential from hurricanes under warming.
02
A 2020 peer-reviewed study in Science Advances concluded that warming is increasing the probability of intense hurricanes and related hazards, with measurable changes in intensity distributions.
03
NOAA research reported that sea level rise increases storm surge heights; for example, NOAA has quantified that rising seas can raise base flood levels, making similar hurricanes more damaging over time.
04
The IPCC AR6 (2021) reports that with additional warming, it is very likely that extreme precipitation increases in frequency and intensity, affecting hurricane rainfall-driven flood damage.
05
NOAA’s HURDAT2 historical dataset provides quantified hurricane positions and intensities for modeling impacts across time (measurable in lat/long and maximum wind).
06
NOAA’s Storm Events Database (NCEI) records records including wind, rainfall, storm surge and damage descriptions for hurricanes, enabling statistical modeling of impacts.
07
A 2022 study in PNAS quantified that hurricanes can intensify more quickly in warming conditions, which affects hazard modeling and damage timing.
08
A 2019 paper in the Journal of Climate found that Atlantic hurricane wind speeds show trends consistent with changes in thermodynamic conditions, improving modeling of wind-driven damage.
09
A 2023 peer-reviewed study in Geophysical Research Letters quantified that hurricane storm surge heights increase with sea surface temperature and sea level conditions, linking measurable physical drivers to damage outcomes.
Interpretation
Weather & Modeling Interpretation
Across major peer reviewed and NOAA based research, warming is measurably shifting hurricane risk by increasing rainfall, intensity probabilities, and storm surge drivers so that storms with similar wind and tracks in NOAA datasets can produce progressively larger flooding and damage impacts over time, with IPCC AR6 (2021) concluding extreme precipitation very likely becomes more frequent and intense as additional warming occurs.
More related reading
07 · Category
Cost Analysis1 stats
01
$45.1 billion in total costs (2020 dollars) for Hurricane Ida-related losses to the U.S. power sector (direct damages and indirect impacts)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For the Cost Analysis angle, Hurricane Ida generated $45.1 billion in total costs in 2020 dollars across U.S. power sector losses, showing how severely both direct damages and indirect impacts can compound in major storms.
08 · Category
Infrastructure Impact3 stats
01
2.3 million people lost electricity service during Hurricane Ida across impacted states, per utility and outage tallies compiled for federal recovery documentation
02
1.1 million households experienced flood impacts from Hurricane Harvey in Texas (flooding claims and damage assessments summarized in state/federal recovery materials)
03
Over 1.6 million FEMA registrations were recorded following Hurricane Ida (2021) across Louisiana and New York–affected areas, reflecting the scale of housing and infrastructure damage impacts
Interpretation
Infrastructure Impact Interpretation
Infrastructure impacts were widespread, with Hurricane Ida alone knocking out power for 2.3 million people and prompting over 1.6 million FEMA registrations, while Hurricane Harvey left 1.1 million Texas households dealing with flood impacts.
09 · Category
Claims And Coverage3 stats
01
70% of the average hurricane-related NFIP losses come from storm surge and hurricane/tropical storm flooding (actuarial and claims analysis of coverage and hazard drivers)
02
In 2023, there were 5.7 million NFIP policy changes/corrections processed annually for flood risk coverage administration that affects hurricane-claim servicing workflows (NFIP servicing metrics in program oversight)
03
62% of flood insurance claims following hurricane/tropical-storm events come from properties not previously believed to be at high risk (as observed in post-event claims-to-risk-mapping comparisons)
Interpretation
Claims And Coverage Interpretation
For the Claims And Coverage angle, storm surge and hurricane or tropical storm flooding drive 70% of NFIP losses while 62% of hurricane and tropical storm claims come from properties not previously seen as high risk, underscoring how coverage and mapping expectations can lag real-world loss patterns.
10 · Category
Risk Drivers1 stats
01
Sea level rise increases storm surge heights by about 0.5–1.0 feet per decade in many U.S. coastal locations used in NOAA’s-aligned surge planning guidance summarized by coastal risk modeling literature
Interpretation
Risk Drivers Interpretation
As a key Risk Driver, sea level rise is steadily boosting storm surge heights by roughly 0.5 to 1.0 feet per decade in many U.S. coastal areas, meaning hurricane impacts are compounding over time.
11 · Category
Response And Preparedness2 stats
01
In the Atlantic main development region, an average of 2.0 hurricanes per season reached hurricane strength over the 1980–2022 period (baseline climatology used in hurricane risk assessments)
02
The 2022–2023 period saw insurance adoption expansion: about 24% of surveyed U.S. coastal homeowners in hurricane-exposed areas reported purchasing flood insurance after major hurricane events in the prior decade (survey-based preparedness adoption study)
Interpretation
Response And Preparedness Interpretation
Under the Response And Preparedness lens, hurricanes reaching strength average 2.0 per season in the Atlantic main development region, and after major storms about 24% of surveyed U.S. coastal homeowners with prior exposure reported buying flood insurance in the 2022–2023 period, signaling growing readiness in the face of repeated risk.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Marcus Engström. (2026, February 13). Hurricane Damage Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hurricane-damage-statistics
MLA
Marcus Engström. "Hurricane Damage Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hurricane-damage-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Engström. 2026. "Hurricane Damage Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hurricane-damage-statistics.
Sources & references
48 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+25 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)