The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is discontinuing its public database tracking the financial costs of climate change-related weather disasters. This database, which has been in use since 1980, provided valuable information on the economic impact of events like floods, heat waves, and wildfires.
The agency stated that the National Centers for Environmental Information will no longer update the Billion-dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database after 2024. The database compiled data from various sources, including FEMA, insurance companies, and state agencies, to estimate overall losses from major weather events.
NOAA cited evolving priorities and staffing changes as the reason for the discontinuation. Scientists have warned that these types of weather events are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change. The database's discontinuation raises concerns about the availability of standardized data on the economic impact of climate-related disasters.