The 8 years with the most $1 billion weather disasters
The National Climatic Data Center has a new, detailed report out on all of the weather disasters since 1980 that have caused $1 billion or more in damages. As the Federal Emergency Management Agency releases its new flood maps for New Jersey -- which are getting extra attention after the damage sustained there during Superstorm Sandy -- here's a look at which years have had the mostly $1 billion disasters:
2011: 14 disasters
The disasters included: Southern Plains/Southwest drought and heat wave; Texas, New Mexico and Arizona wildfires; Tropical Storm Lee; Hurricane Irene; an outbreak of tornadoes, hail and wind in the Rockies and Midwest; Missouri River flooding; tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast in June; Mississippi River flooding; tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast in May; Southeast/Ohio ValleyMidwest tornadoes in April; three other rounds of Southeast/Midwest tornadoes in April; Groundhog Day Blizzard
2012: 11 disasters
The disasters included: Drought and heatwave; Western wildfires; Superstorm Sandy; Hurricane Isaac; derecho in the Plains/East/Northeast; storms, hail and tornadoes in the Rockies/Southwest in June; storms, tornadoes and hail in the Southern Plains/Midwest/Northeast in late May; tornadoes and hail in the Midwest/Ohio Valley in late April and early May; Midwest tornadoes in mid-May; Texas tornadoes; Southeast/Ohio Valley tornadoes
2008: 9 disasters
The disasters included: widespread drought; wildfires; Hurricane Ike; Hurricane Gustav; Hurricane Dolly; Midwest flooding; tornadoes and thunderstorms in the Midwest/Mid-Atlantic in June; Midwest tornadoes in May; Southeast tornadoes in February
1998: 9 disasters
The disasters included: California freeze; Texas flooding; Hurricane Georges; drought/heat wave in the South; Hurricane Bonnie; severe storms and tornadoes across the Midwest/North/Northeast/Southeast in late May and early June; storm and hail in Minnesota; tornadoes and flooding in the Southeast; Northeast ice storm
2009: 6 disasters
The disasters included: Southest/Great Plains drought; Western wildfires; Midwest/South/East derecho; thunderstorms, tornadoes and hail in the South/Southeast; Midwest/Southeast tornaodes; thunderstorms in the Southeast/Ohio Valley
2006: 6 disasters
The disasters included: wildfires; widespread drought; Northeast flooding; Midwest/Southeast tornaodes; Midwest/Ohio Valley tornadoes in April; Midwest/South storms and tornaodes in March
1994: 6 disasters
The disasters included: Western fire season; Texas flooding; Tropical Storm Alberto; tornaodes in the South/Southwest/Midwest; Southeast ice storm; winter storm and cold wave
1992: 6 disasters
The disasters included: Nor'easter; Hurricane Iniki; Hurricane Andrew; storms and hail in Kansas and Oklahoma in June; hail and tornadoes in Oklahoma and Texas in April; storms in the South and Southeast in March