COLUMBIA, S.C. — As we near the end of the year, it is very likely that 2024 will go down as Earth's hottest year on record. Currently, the warmest year is 2023, but according to Climate Central, 2024 expected to be even hotter.
For the first time ever, the annual global average temperature anomaly will exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels — the key long-term threshold set by the Paris Climate Accord in 2015. According to combined data from NOAA and NASA, year-to-date (January through November 2024) global surface temperature ranked highest in the 145-year record at 1.54°C (2.77°F) above the early industrial (1881-1910) baseline average.
In response to Earth's warming, extreme weather and climate events are becoming more frequent and more intense. This is resulting in devastating losses.
According to Climate Central, the U.S. experienced 24 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters from January through November 2024. This is second only to the record 28 annual disasters set just last year. Climate Central explains that These 24 billion-dollar disasters have resulted in an estimated 418 deaths and $61 billion in damages. However, these (January – November) totals do not include damages associated with Hurricanes Helene or Milton, which may add a stark $100 billion or more to this figure. If so, the 2024 total damages would surpass the $95 billion combined disaster costs in 2023.
In addition to the number of disasters increasing, the time between them has decreased. A stark reality emerges from a Climate Central analysis: the average length of time between billion-dollar disasters has plummeted from 82 days in the 1980s to 15 days in recent years (2020-2024). This alarming trend continues into 2024, with the average interval between billion-dollar disasters shrinking to a mere 12 days (in the first 11 months).
