2012 ranks as 2nd costliest year with 11 billion-dollar disasters causing more than $110 billion in damages

NCDC Releases 2012 Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters Information | National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) National Climatic Data CenterSkip to main contentSkip to site searchHomeClimate InformationData AccessCustomer SupportAbout NCDCSearch Field: Home > News > NCDC Releases 2012 Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters InformationNCDC Releases 2012 Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters Information Submitted by susan.osborne on Thu, 06/13/2013 - 10:41am

U.S. 2012 Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters. Full-size version also available.

According to NCDC’s 2012 weather and climate disasters information, 2012 saw 11 weather and climate disaster events each with losses exceeding $1 billion in damages. This makes 2012 the second costliest year since 1980, with a total of more than $110 billion in damages throughout the year. The 2012 total damages rank only behind 2005, which incurred $160 billion in damages due in part to four devastating land-falling hurricanes.

The 2012 billion-dollar events included seven severe weather and tornado events, two tropical cyclone events, and the yearlong drought and its associated wildfires. These 11 events killed over 300 people and had devastating economic effects on the areas impacted. With 11 events, 2012 also ranks second highest in total number of billion-dollar events behind 2011, which had 14 events.

The two major drivers of the damage costs in 2012 were Sandy at approximately $65 billion and the yearlong drought at approximately $30 billion. Sandy’s large size, with tropical storm force winds extending nearly 500 miles from the center, led to record storm surge, large-scale flooding, wind damage, and mass power outages along much of the East Coast.

The yearlong drought, which affected more than half the country for the majority of 2012, was the largest drought extent in the United States since the 1930s. U.S. Department of Agriculture Drought Disaster Declarations reached more than 2,600 of the Nation’s 3,143 counties. While drought impacts are often most costly to agricultural centers, their conditions also led to several devastating wildfires that burned over 9 million acres nationwide during 2012.

See NCDC’s Billion-Dollar Weather/Climate Disasters report for more information on the weather and climate events that have had the greatest economic impacts from 1980 to 2012.

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Ohio Record Rainfall, Flooding Causing Algae Problems for Waterways (ContributorNetwork)

Going "green" isn't always a good thing. Due to record amounts of spring rainfall, a coating of green algae known as cyan bacteria has invaded at least 20 public beaches, lakes and ponds in Ohio. The toxic blue-green sticky film occurs when water becomes polluted with sewage, manure and fertilizer.

Indiana Prairie Reporter notes the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is offering financial assistance to farmers battling an overflow of manure-based fertilizer due to spring flooding. Cleaning up the manure seepage will likely prevent the contamination from encompassing more public and private waterways.

Memorial Day is the unofficial kick-off for outdoor summer fun and coveted eco-tourism business around the state. Ohio State Park beaches are popular day and weekend getaways even when the economy is good. The struggling economy has boosted state park visitation for the last several years. A decline in visitors would have a financial impact for campground, cabin and outdoor recreation rental businesses. The algae problem will impact the rural Hocking Hills area of southern Ohio to the northern shores of Lake Erie, the two largest outdoor tourist attractions in the Midwest.

Heavy April showers and flood waters washed phosphorus-infused sediment from agricultural areas into waterways last year as well. The rainfall run-off issue in 2011 has already surpassed the algae growth which occurred in all of 2010 in Ohio. Per studies by University of Toledo ecologists, harmful algal blooms are expected to make a return appearance in Lake Erie again this summer, according to the Columbus Dispatch. The warmth and sunshine which any Ohioans have been seeking will only exasperate algae growth. Fishing is not only an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon on Lake Erie but a means of putting food on the table for angler-related businesses. Decaying fish floating on the top of the lake will not only deter fishermen but disrupt the fragile economy in the Buckeye State.

Fortunately, no safety warnings affecting human health have yet been issued due to the growing algae problem. Water may be deemed safe for swimming if the concentrations of the green ilk are determined to be low enough not to be harmful if accidentally ingested while in the water.

Last year, tourists were met with warning signs when visiting state park beaches at Hake Hope, Burr Oak and Grand Lake state parks. Thousands of hikers at the Hocking Hills State Park were not deterred by the pending algae over the holiday weekend and cooled off in waterfall overflows at Ash Cave and Old Man's Cave with both their small children and four-legged family members. The thick canopy of trees and cooler temperatures along cave trails are protected from the direct sunlight algae needs to flourish.

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