Washington: The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced Thursday it will discontinue its widely-referenced Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database following the 2024 calendar year amid significant budget reductions.
According to Anadolu Agency, NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information stated that the decision to halt updates to the Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters product aligns with evolving priorities, statutory mandates, and staffing changes. The agency confirmed that the database, which has been maintained since 1980, will be 'retired' with no updates beyond the 2024 calendar year.
The database has played a crucial role in documenting the financial impacts of extreme weather events, including hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, and hailstorms, each inflicting damages exceeding $1 billion. However, significant workforce reductions and budget cuts, particularly under the Donald Trump administration, have led to its discontinuation. The previous administration proposed a more than 25% reduction in NOAA's $6 billion budget for 2026, alongside terminating numerous climate-focused research and grant programs.
A statement from NOAA indicated that the budget cuts aim to end initiatives 'not aligned with Administration policy' and cancel satellite instruments 'designed primarily for unnecessary climate measurements rather than weather observations.'