The lack of federal disaster tracking data has increased reliance on private organizations, raising concerns about oversight and the need for comprehensive disaster cost accounting.

The NOAA billion-dollar disaster database, which was discontinued during the Trump administration, has been revived by the nonprofit Climate Central to provide ongoing data on costly weather events, using methodologies similar to NOAA's.

In the first half of 2025, Climate Central identified 14 separate weather and climate disasters, marking a record-high period for damages, with total costs exceeding $61 billion, including the most expensive wildfire event in Los Angeles.

This surge in disaster costs is linked to climate change, which is increasing both the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, and is compounded by expanding populations into high-risk areas.

The rising economic impact of disasters such as wildfires and floods underscores the importance of understanding these costs, especially as development in vulnerable zones continues.

Adam Smith emphasizes that this dataset highlights the economic consequences of climate events, aiding community understanding and informing policy decisions.

The revived database serves as a crucial tool for insurers, policymakers, and communities to better understand and respond to the financial impacts of extreme weather, supporting improved planning.

Experts warn that the dismantling of disaster response infrastructure and reduced federal funding have left the US less prepared for future catastrophic events.

Led by former NOAA economist Adam Smith, the database now includes data from insurance companies and other sources, maintaining the same rigorous methodology to ensure accuracy.

Climate Central's methodology for assessing damages adjusts for inflation and considers direct infrastructure and property damages, though it does not include indirect costs like loss of life or ecological damage.

In the absence of comprehensive federal disaster data, organizations like climate.us and scientific societies are stepping in to fill the information gap, aiming to support ongoing climate research and policy development.

Climate Central plans to continue updating and expanding its dataset, which uses peer-reviewed methodologies similar to NOAA's, to better reflect ongoing and future climate impacts.

Despite no hurricanes making landfall in the U.S. so far in 2025, the year is projected to be among the top ten costliest due to record damages in 2024 and increasing severity of weather events.