U.S. saw 14 $1B natural disasters in 2019, now the second wettest year on record

Hurricane Dorian inflicted unprecedented damage in the Bahamas in September 2019. Early insured loss estimates priced Dorian at $7 billion, but the recovery efforts in the affected Bahamas islands will be an extensive, long process. (Photo: AP)

Following the trends of recent years, the U.S. experienced more record-breaking weather activity in 2019, which is now the second wettest year on record, according to new data and analysis from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

NOAA recently released its complete 2019 weather and climate totals for the year and recapped U.S. climate and extreme weather activity in 2019. According to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information., precipitation across the contiguous U.S. totaled 34.78 inches in 2019 (4.48 inches above the long-term average), making 2019 the second-wettest year on record after 1973.