Weather Related Disasters Have Growing Economic, Human Toll

In 2004, weather-related disasters caused nearly $105 billion in economic losses (in 2003 dollars)—almost twice the total in 2003.Roughly 12,000 weather-related disasters since 1980 have caused just over 618,200 fatalities and cost a total of 1.3 trillion.Average annual economic losses from such events have risen from $26 billion in the 1980s to $67 billion over the last decade.Average annual fatalities due to weather, meanwhile, jumped from 22,000 in the 1980s to 33,000 in the 1990s.

Vital Signs
Purchase a print version or electronic PDF of Vital Signs 2005.

References
"Weather-Related Disasters Near a Record," in Vital Signs 2005, pp. 50-51

Links
Munich Re http://www.munichre.com/