NOAA Will Stop Tracking Billion-Dollar Storms — But They’re Still Coming

In the few months since January, DOGE has precipitated massive layoffs across more than two dozen federal agencies. Fewer employees means lower capacity to maintain operations — which can have wide-ranging consequences for the American public.

Case in point: Just last week, NOAA announced the retirement of its Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters tracker. The product, which has been operational for more than 40 years, won’t be updated with any further data beyond the calendar year 2024.

Why NOAA’s billion-dollar storm tracker is being retired — and why it matters

NOAA’s Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters project began in 1980 — a year in which there were only three qualifying events whose damage cost totaled to about $45.7 billion. In fact, across the whole first decade of the tracker’s existence, there were only 33 weather events that met the tracker’s criteria. To put that into perspective, there were 73 qualifying weather events in the three years spanning 2022 to 2024 — 27 of which occurred in 2024 alone.

The data is clear: Weather events — and the cost of their resultant damage — have been getting worse over the last four decades. Indeed, 2024 was the most expensive year so far on record, with its damage total of $182.7 billion. (It also came in second for the highest number of qualifying events — after 2023, when there were 28.)

Tracking extreme weather helps scientists better understand the overall trends of our climate. The data can also help us predict — and protect ourselves from — future storms. Further, insurers rely on NOAA’s data (including the erstwhile billion-dollar disaster project) to help them model catastrophic risks and set premium prices.

But in the wake of a substantial number of firings, the tracker has been deprioritized. The decision was made, according to NOAA spokeswoman Kim Doster, in response to "evolving priorities, statutory mandates and staffing changes."

This latest blow comes after the Trump administration proposed to slash NOAA’s overall funding by 27% and eliminate "functions of the Department that are misaligned with the President’s agenda and the expressed will of the American people," according to a leaked memo. Suggested cuts included nearly all of the administration’s programming related to climate change research.

Protecting yourself — and your home — from billion-dollar weather disasters

Although no disasters have been listed on the NOAA tracker for 2025, several qualifying events have occurred — including January’s spate of Los Angeles-area wildfires, which themselves are estimated to have totaled some $150 billion in damages.

Which is to say, even if they’re not being collated and researched, billion-dollar disasters are almost sure to continue happening. That puts the onus on consumers to protect themselves.

Although insurance prices (on both the homeowners and auto side) have been on the rise since the pandemic, it’s important to review your policies and ensure you’re carrying a sufficient amount of coverage to sustain you through a catastrophic event. In addition, research your area’s local disaster risk and add in coverage that may not be included in your primary homeowners policy, such as flood or earthquake insurance.

Finally, taking steps to preemptively strengthen your home could go a long way toward lowering your overall claim amount if you do find yourself in the path of disaster — and even score you discounts on your insurance policy.

As the world and its weather continue to evolve, so too must our precautions — even in the face of shrinking research.