The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) reports that the U.S. has sustained
323 weather and climate disasters from 1980 to 2021, where overall damages/costs reached or
exceeded $1 billion (including CPI adjustment to 2021). The total cost of these 323 events exceeds
$2.195 trillion, an average of $6.8 billion per event. The National Weather Service’s NCEI reports
that nearly 98% of presidentially declared disasters are weather-related. The NCEI also reports
that in 2021 alone, there were twenty weather events causing over $1 billion dollars of damage
in the United States. The Congressional Research Service reports tornadoes, severe
thunderstorms, and related weather events cause nearly 57 percent of all insured catastrophic
losses in the United States since 1953.

Weather events vary from state to state, but their impact is not just economic. Hazards induced
by weather events such as floods, tornadoes, lightning strikes, winter storms and extreme
temperatures claim the lives of around 500 Americans annually. These risks can be mitigated
through weather education, warning, and preparedness.

The National Weather Service (NWS) keeps track of weather-related fatalities in the United
States. Nationally, the weather event with the highest fatality rate is heat, but in Utah winter
storms cause the most deaths. Additionally, the NWS 2021 saw a greater number of fatalities for
most hazards than an average year.

In general, as the fastest growing state in the country in terms of percent increase, more and
more people and assets are being exposed to severe weather hazards thus potentially increasing
vulnerability to certain hazards. For example, rapid growth and development are occurring
throughout the Wasatch Front region. Utah County and Salt Lake County are especially notable
as the fastest growing counties in Utah. This same area is particularly prone to damage from
large hail. It is reasonable to assume that increasing the assets in harm’s way will increase losses
due to hail in this area.

Washington County, in the southwest corner of the state, is also expected to grow substantially
in coming decades. This county also experiences the most frequent and severe heat waves of
any Utah county and has relatively high social vulnerability. Taken together, this is a recipe for
higher impacts from extreme heat in coming years.

Development and population increase go hand-in-hand, and as the population increases it is
reasonable to assume more people will be spending time outdoors. This will effectively increase
the exposure of people to severe weather such as extreme heat.

Development can also, by itself, increase the severity of certain severe weather hazards. For
example, as development progresses, urban heat islands can form. Heat generated over paved
surfaces can increase air temperatures and associated impacts. Development is often associated
with decreasing urban tree canopy, decreasing shade refuges and further amplifying the effects
of extreme heat.