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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Jonathan Watts

2024’s most costly climate disasters killed 2,000 people and caused $229bn in damages, data shows

The aftermath of Hurricane Milton in Manasota Key, Florida, in the US in October 2024.
The aftermath of Hurricane Milton in Manasota Key, Florida, in the US in October 2024. Photograph: Rebecca Blackwell/AP

The world’s 10 most costly climate disasters of 2024 caused $229bn in damages and killed 2,000 people, the latest annual analysis of insurance payouts has revealed.

Three-quarters of the financial destruction occurred in the world’s biggest economy, the US, where climate denier Donald Trump will become president next month.

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