NU Online News Service, June 27, 2:52 p.m. EDT
AccuWeather.com meteorologists predict the United States will see four direct hits from tropical systems this year, further draining already strained state budgets.
The weather service notes that the country has already been beset by drought, floods, thunderstorms and tornadoes. AccuWeather estimates these combined weather events will cause between $23 billion and $28 billion in economic damages. Making up the bulk of that estimate, AccuWeather points to a recent Aon Benfield report that notes that April and May storms are expected to cause between $21 billion and $22 billion in economic losses.
"With four predicted tropical system hits this year, severe weather damage totals will grow," AccuWeather says in a statement. It adds, "A tropical system hitting the United States does not necessarily mean that the storm will be a hurricane. A tropical system could be anything from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane. A hurricane is a tropical cyclone with winds more than 73 miles per hour."
Should a hurricane strike, AccuWeather points to the median cost of a landfalling Atlantic hurricane—$1.8 billion—as an idea of what the damage could be.
AccuWeather says, "The median cost is the most accurate measure of the middle of the data because Hurricane Katrina's immense damage, at $145 billion (2011 adjusted) inflates the average cost of a hurricane to close to $9 billion."
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