by Weather disasters In the first half of this year, the United States cost 93 billion US dollars damage, according to a report that was published on Tuesday by a German multinational insurance company.
The analysis of Munich RE, the world’s largest reinsurance, showed that in the United States, more than 70% of all worldwide worldwide have taken place in weather disasters worldwide that had damaging damage of $ 22 billion.
The report shows that forest fires, heavy storms and other extreme events take advantage of in the United States and worldwide. The results also underline the growing insurance crisis in parts of the country, which are susceptible to frequent weather disasters.
“We saw around 90% of all losses for the insurance industry – 72 out of $ 80 billion – in the USA,” said Tobias Grimm, chief climate scholar at Munich Re. “That is extraordinary.”
The devastating forest fires in southern California in January exceeded the list of the most expensive disaster in the country in the first half of 2025. The two largest fires, in which at least 30 people were killed and thousands were driven away, the municipalities tore in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, which were divided by the strong Santa Ana Winds.
Munich Re estimated that the forest fires caused losses of 53 billion US dollars, including around $ 13 billion in damages for residents without insurance. The reinsurer said that the flames in the Los Angeles region led to the “highest losses of forest fire ever”.
The enormous economic and social tribute of the forest fires were partly due to the increased development in fire -prone areas.
“The losses rise because the properties are often harmful,” said Grimm. “People still live in areas with high risk.”
Urban development in endangered areas can increase the costs of other weather -related disasters such as hurricanes and floods in a similar way, which are becoming more common and more serious due to climate change.
Studies have shown that the climate change is more common due to warmer temperatures and deteriorating drought conditions. As a result, blazes are also more intense.
In a report published from the global weather, the report published by the global weather, showed that the hot, dry and windy conditions that helped the fires to consume large parts of South California, about 35% more likely due to the global warming of people.
Lesly Karen Cornett is on May 18 under the ruins of her house outside London, Ky. (Michael Swensen / Getty Images)
The own income of Munich Re was affected by the forest fires of LA, as reported by CNBC. According to their reports, profits decreased by a total of $ 1.9 billion for Munich Re and Hannover Re (another German reinsurer) in the first quarter.
Other important disasters in the United States were previously heavy storms in March, which caused a number of tornados of $ 6.7 billion in May, which caused a loss of around 5 billion US dollars in April, and severe storms and floods caused $ 4 billion.
Overall, “heavy convective storms” – those that cause excessive rainfall, strong winds, tornados or large hail – caused a RE 34 billion US dollar damage to the United States from January to June. The company, of which the streets and public schools contained damage, found losses that were not insured by $ 8 billion.
Outside the United States, a tropical cyclone that met Australia at the end of February had heavy rain over parts of Queensland and New South Wales, which caused an estimated 3.5 billion US dollar damage.
Rümmer in the damaged monastery of Me Nu Brick on the outskirts of Mandalay, Myanmar, after the devastating earthquake on March 28. (Sai Aung Main / AFP via Getty Images)
Internationally, the most expensive catastrophe was not air -conditioned this year this year: at the end of March, Myanmar scored an earthquake in Myanmar. An estimated 4,500 people died after the quake had moved the cities of Sagaing and Mandalay and the surrounding area.
And an earthquake of the strength 6, which met Taiwan in January, caused $ 1.3 billion in losses.
The report of the insurance company takes place months after the national ocean and atmospheric management, the economic burden on the most expensive extreme extreme weather events in the United States. The elimination of Noaa’s annual reports of “billions of dollar weather and climate catastrophes” was seen by critics as another opportunity, as the Trump administration has shortened or eliminated climate science in federal authorities.
A NOAA spokesman previously announced NBC News that the decision to hire the database was made “in the direction of developing priorities and changes in personnel”.
Grimm said it was “important” to work with NOAA and other government agencies to ensure that these types of reports contain precise data. The resulting analyzes can be used by insurance companies and government officials, for example, to design guidelines, and they are particularly important because disasters of billions of dollars become more common.
“The likelihood of extreme weather changes,” said Grimm.
This article was originally published on nbcnews.com
