Meteorological disasters in the first half of this year have cost $ 93 billion to the United States, according to a report published Tuesday by a German multinational sure company.
The analysis by Munich Re, the largest reinsurer in the world, found that more than 70% of all worldwide damage to climatic disasters so far this year occurred in the United States, with Americans without insurance and their local governments that experienced a whopping $ 22 billion in damage.
The report shows the high economic cost that forest fires, severe storms and other extreme events are demanding in the United States already worldwide. The findings also highlight the growing insurance crisis that develops in parts of the country that are prone to frequent climatic disasters.
“We have seen about 90% of all losses for the insurance industry, so 72 of 80 billion US dollars have happened in the United States,” said Tobias Grimm, the main climate scientist of Munich Re. “That is extraordinary.”
The devastating forest fires in southern California in January led the list of the country’s most expensive disasters in the first half of 2025. The two largest fires, which killed at least 30 people and displaced thousands more, crossed the communities of Pacific Palisades and Altadena, approached by strong winds of Santa Ana.
Munich Re estimated that forest fires caused losses of $ 53 billion, including approximately $ 13 billion in damages for residents without insurance. The reinsurer said that the fires of the Los Angeles area resulted in the “highest losses of forest fires of all time.”
The enormous economic and social toll of forest fires was partly due to greater development in fire -prone areas.
“The losses are increasing because the properties are often in danger,” Grimm said. “People still live in high -risk areas.”
Urban development in areas prone to hazards can similarly increase the cost of other climate -related disasters, such as hurricanes and floods, which are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change.
Studies have shown that climate change is making forest fires more frequent due to warmer temperatures and worsening drought conditions. The flames are also becoming more intense, as a result.
A report published at the end of January from the World Meteorological Attribution Group found that the hot, dry and suction conditions that helped fires to consume large stripes in southern California were approximately 35% more likely due to global warming caused by humans.
