2023 was the planet's hottest year on record, and climate-related disaster costs are mounting
MINNEAPOLIS — All around the world, NASA and NOAA are confirming what we already knew here in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin about 2023.
"(It) was a record-breaking year, the warmest on record (for the planet). And 2023 didn't break this record by a little. It broke it by a lot," said NOAA Climate Scientist Tom Di Liberto.
For the U.S., last year was the fifth-warmest on record, and the eighth- and fourth-warmest for Minnesota and Wisconsin, respectively.
The year 2012 still holds the top spot for the warmest year in the United States, but Di Liberto said the warming trend is expected to continue.
"That's not to say every year will be the next warmest year on record, but the trend is clear," he said.
The country also experienced the most billion-dollar disasters in a year: 28. That beats the old record of 22 from 2020.
Since 2019, the total cost of weather and climate disasters is over $603 billion.
"All of these events happening are not only going to stress a state and the community, but also the country being able to deal with all of those impacts. Sometimes these impacts can happen at the same time in different parts of the country. Or they can be one after another," Di Liberto said. "It can be incredibly taxing."
And that's why NOAA and NASA say they're doing all the research, to better understand the risks of climate change and to help the country and world become even more climate resilient.
For more on their report, click here.