[ZNPaaneah]

As announced in a report issued this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 2017 was a historic year, and not at all in a good way. Climate-related disasters, including the hurricanes and wildfires that dominated headlines during late 2017, exceeded $300 billion in costs last year – a new annual U.S. record. In fact, last year’s weather events shattered the previous record dating back to 2005, when the likes of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita added up to a total of $214.8 billion in damages. In addition to the California wildfires and Hurricanes Harvey, Maria and Irma, NOAA’s accounting also included droughts in the Dakotas and Montana; flooding in Missouri and Arkansas;