Extreme weather events in 2024 will ultimately cost Americans more than $500 billion in total damage, according to a new estimate from AccuWeather.
That steep sum comes after a year filled with extreme weather events — which have become increasingly commonplace across the U.S. — that often had deadly consequences. Oppressive and dangerous heat waves rocked major metros this summer, in what is expected to be the hottest year on record. California saw its fourth-largest wildfire, torrential rains pounded the West Coast and Pacific Northwest over the winter, and more than 100 people were rescued in Arizona after flash floods left them stranded near the Grand Canyon.
