Climate Extremes 2011–NOAA’s Climate Science & Services

Extreme Weather and Climate Events for 2011

A Year for the Record Books

From extreme drought, heat waves and floods to unprecedented tornado outbreaks, hurricanes, wildfires and winter storms, a record 12 weather and climate disasters in 2011
each caused $1 billion or more in damages – and most regrettably, loss
of human lives and property. NOAA’s National Weather Service has
redoubled its efforts to create a “Weather-Ready Nation”, where vulnerable communities are better prepared for extreme weather and other natural disasters.

NOAA
forecasts, advisories, watches, warnings and community-based
preparedness programs havebeen and will continue play an even greater
role in enhancing the economy and saving lives. A Weather-Ready Nation
is one in which businesses, governments and the public are armed with
accurate forecasts and other critical information on which to make smart
decisions to protect life and property when severe weather threatens.

Summary

The
U.S. has sustained 112 weather/climate related disasters over the past
31+ years in which overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion.
The total normalized losses for the 112 events exceed $750 billion.
The
U.S. has sustained 12 billion-dollar weather/climate disasters so far
in 2011, breaking the record of 9 set in 2008. The aggregate damage from
these 12 events is approximately $52 billion, in which 646 people lost
their lives.
For more information:

NCDC Billion Dollar Disaster Page: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/reports/billionz.html

NOAA Extreme Weather 2011 Page: https://www.noaa.gov/extreme2011/index.html

NOAA National Weather Service: https://www.nws.noaa.gov

New
Series to Highlight How NOAA’s Climate Sciences & Services Are
Essential in Safeguarding People, Communities and Businesses

Throughout history, as well as today, people around the country and the world use climate information – long-range
forecasts about the atmosphere and our oceans on the order of weeks to
seasons to decades or longer that are based historical records of
temperature, precipitation, storms, and other related processes – to inform major decisions from agriculture to health to transportation to energy production.

NOAA
has provided essential information about climate to the public for
decades that anticipates future risks, saves lives, protects property
and safeguards the economy. To help showcase these efforts, we have
developed a series of case studies or “vignettes” to showcase how its
climate information and services help inform decisions by people, local
businesses and communities.

If
you would like to share a story about how your organization or business
uses NOAA’s climate information and services, we would love to hear
from you. Please contact us at climate.service@noaa.gov.

NOAA’s
mission is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather,
oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others,
and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources.

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