Published on Thursday, December 8, 2011 by Hartford Courant

http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/toll-from-weather-disasters-in-u-s-this-year-hits/article_7f03b9cf-30ce-5d4c-9df1-5b86de274a02.html

by Mara Lee

HARTFORD, Conn. - The United States had a dozen weather disasters that caused at least $1 billion in damage this year, the greatest frequency of severe weather that caused costly losses in more than 30 years of federal government tracking.

In this Feb. 2, 2011 file photo, hundreds of cars are seen stranded on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago after a winter blizzard of historic proportions wobbled an otherwise snow-tough Chicago. America's wild weather year has hit yet another new high. (AP) However, even with the number of events, the total losses this year from these storms, flooding and droughts is $52 billion, not even close to the most expensive year on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina alone cost $145 billion in today's dollars. It was the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history, and, with more than 1,800 deaths, the highest toll in lives since the 1928 hurricane in south Florida.

The Joplin, Mo., tornado was the deadliest single tornado in 61 years, with 160 deaths, and the tornado there, along with 179 others across 15 states in late May cost $9.1 billion, with $6.5 billion in insured losses.

The disasters this year caused more than 600 deaths, NOAA said. In addition to the Groundhog Day Blizzard, Hurricane Irene and many tornadoes, drought-fueled wildfires in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona crossed the $1 billion threshold.