- According to data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association yesterday, 2017 was the third-hottest year on record in the United States.
- Based on a preliminary analysis of the data, NOAA scientists determined that the average annual temperature for the 48 contiguous U.S. states was 54.6 degrees Fahrenheit last year, about 2.6 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the 20th century average.
- The country also experienced 16 weather and climate disasters that inflicted damages of $1 billion or more, which collectively cost a total of approximately $306 billion in losses – a new annual record for the U.S., NOAA reported.
According to data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association yesterday, 2017 was the third-hottest year on record in the United States.
That wasn’t the only climate-related record the U.S. set in 2017, however: The country also experienced 16 weather and climate disasters that inflicted damages of $1 billion or more, which collectively cost a total of approximately $306 billion in losses – a new annual record for the U.S., NOAA reported.
“2017 will be remembered as a year of extremes for the U.S. as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, drought, fires and freezes claimed hundreds of lives and visited economic hardship upon the nation,” the agency said in a statement. “Recovery from the ravages of three major Atlantic hurricanes making landfall in the U.S. and an extreme and ongoing wildfire season in the West is expected to continue well into the new year.”
Based on a preliminary analysis of the data, NOAA scientists determined that the average annual temperature for the 48 contiguous U.S. states was 54.6 degrees Fahrenheit last year, about 2.6 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the 20th century average. That makes 2017 the third-warmest year in the 123 years since record keeping began in 1895, behind only 2012 (which was 55.3°F above the 20th century average) and 2016 (54.9°F above the average).
2017 will also go down as the third consecutive year that each of the contiguous U.S. states as well as Alaska had above-average annual temperatures. “Despite cold seasons in various regions throughout the year, above-average temperatures, often record breaking, during other parts of the year more than offset any seasonal cool conditions,” NOAA noted.
The agency also reported that five states (Arizona, Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, and South Carolina) set records for their warmest year on record.
The U.S. has now experienced warmer-than-average annual temperatures for the past 21 straight years, or every year since 1997. All five of the hottest years on record for the contiguous U.S. have occurred since 2006.
While 2017 tied 2011 with 16 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters, the more than $300 billion in damages the U.S. incurred in 2017 smashed the previous record of $215 billion in losses set in 2005, the year Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, and Rita all made landfall.
NOAA found that 326 people lost their lives as a direct consequence of the extreme climate and weather events of 2017.
“Some of the more noteworthy events included the western wildfire season, with total costs of $18 billion, tripling the previous U.S. annual wildfire cost record,” NOAA stated. “Hurricane Harvey had total costs of $125 billion, second only to Hurricane Katrina in the 38-year period of record for billion-dollar disasters. Hurricanes Maria and Irma had total costs of $90 billion and $50 billion, respectively. Hurricane Maria now ranks as the third costliest weather and climate disaster on record for the nation and Irma ranks as the fifth costliest.”
