Extreme Weather Events

Extreme weather events include tropical cyclones (hurricanes/typhoons), tornadoes, blizzards, heat waves, droughts, and floods. These have always been part of Earth's climate, but increasing ocean temperatures and atmospheric moisture are intensifying their frequency and power. The deadliest weather disasters in history: 1970 Bhola cyclone (500,000 deaths, Bangladesh); 1931 China floods (1-4 million deaths); 1900 Galveston hurricane (8,000-12,000 deaths, worst US natural disaster). Hurricane Katrina (2005) is the costliest US weather disaster ($125 billion) despite not being the strongest storm — the failure of New Orleans's flood defenses killed 1,800 people and displaced 1 million. Tornadoes are unique to the American Great Plains — the US experiences 1,000+ tornadoes per year, 75% of the world's total. An EF5 tornado can level reinforced concrete structures. Heat waves now kill more people than any other weather event — the 2003 European heat wave killed 70,000 people.