SEO Riders:
– NOAA ends updates to Billion-Dollar Disaster database amid climate concerns
– Experts warn of data gap as NOAA halts tracking of extreme weather costs
- – U.S. federal agency’s decision may impact climate change policy and preparedness
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced it will discontinue updates to its Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database beyond 2024. This database, active since 1980, has been instrumental in documenting the financial impacts of major climate-related events such as floods, wildfires, and hurricanes. NOAA cites “evolving priorities, statutory mandates, and staffing changes” as reasons for this decision.
Experts express concern over this move, emphasizing that the database has been a critical resource for understanding the escalating costs and frequency of extreme weather events linked to climate change. The cessation of this tracking could hinder efforts in disaster preparedness, policy formulation, and public awareness. Alternative data sources exist but may lack the comprehensiveness and accessibility that NOAA’s database provided.
