The weather disaster database that Trump killed has a new home
Original story by: The Verge
Last updated: Oct 22, 2025
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- Context: A new public database, developed by Climate Central, is continuing the work of tracking billion-dollar weather and climate disasters after the Trump administration discontinued the federal resource. This initiative aims to fill the gap left by the federal government, which ceased updating its data on these costly events.
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- Detailed Summary:
- The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) stopped updating its federal database of billion-dollar disasters in May, citing "evolving priorities, statutory mandates, and staffing changes" under the Trump administration.
- The nonprofit research group Climate Central has launched its own version of the database, maintaining the tracking of disasters costing at least $1 billion since 1980, with costs adjusted for inflation.
- Adam Smith, formerly the lead scientist for NCEI's disaster tool, is now leading the effort at Climate Central.
- In the first six months of the current year, 14 disasters have cumulatively cost $101.4 billion, significantly above the average of 9 such disasters per year.
- The frequency and intensity of these destructive events have increased substantially since 1980, with the last two years experiencing record numbers of disasters (28 and 27, respectively).
- Average annual inflation-adjusted costs have risen more than six-fold, from $22.6 billion per year in the 1980s to $153.2 billion per year in the 2020s.
- The costliest wildfire event on record for the US, occurring in the greater Los Angeles area in January, contributed significantly to the first six months of the year being the costliest on record, with losses exceeding $60 billion.
- The article also notes that the Trump administration has removed climate change information from government websites and is facing legal challenges for its actions, including using a report that rejects scientific consensus on climate change to justify rolling back environmental regulations.
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