Global warming isn’t some distant threat—it’s already hitting us hard, in terms of our health and our wallets. Last year alone, the U.S. was slammed with 27 climate disasters—hurricanes, severe storms, winter storms, tornado outbreaks, flooding, wildfires, and heat waves—that each caused at least $1 billion in damages. Together, they claimed nearly 600 lives and left families and communities reeling. That’s a billion-dollar disaster every other week on average.
We know the cause: climate pollution is fueling extreme weather, making it more destructive, more chaotic, and more expensive. But instead of taking action to minimize the human and monetary costs of these disasters, the Trump EPA is working to dismantle the very safeguards designed to keep us safe. At the center of this attack is the Endangerment Finding—the scientific and legal foundation that recognizes greenhouse gases as dangerous pollution under the Clean Air Act.
Tell Administrator Zeldin: Cutting Climate Pollution Is Essential for Our Families’ Health
Rolling back the Endangerment Finding would strip away one of the strongest tools we have to protect our health, our economy, and our future. The proof is in the devastation we saw last year. EDF’s billion-dollar disaster map shows how these costly disasters make this reality painfully clear:
Hurricanes
Five hurricanes tore across the U.S., leaving behind $124 billion in damage and claiming 314 lives. The costliest, Hurricane Helene, struck Perry, Florida, before unleashing catastrophic flooding across the Carolinas, wiping entire mountain towns off the map.
Hurricanes Milton, Debby, Francine, and Beryl also hammered the Gulf Coast, fueled by record-warm ocean waters. These storms brought life-threatening storm surges, crushing winds, and relentless rainfall. Milton was especially historic—it matched 2005’s Hurricane Rita as the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico.
Tornado outbreaks
Six major tornado outbreaks carved a path of destruction across the country, causing $19 billion in damage and taking 30 lives. North Texas and Oklahoma were hit especially hard, as powerful twisters leveled homes and left hundreds of thousands of people without power.
Other states, including Florida, Kansas, Indiana, and West Virginia, also endured devastating outbreaks. Tornadoes tore through infrastructure, knocked out electrical and water systems, pounded communities with hail, and brought down utility lines.
Flooding
In Marshall, Minnesota, catastrophic flooding caused $1 billion in damages and claimed four lives. Extraordinary rainfall drenched the Upper Midwest, with Minnesota hit the hardest. Over just three days, nine inches of rain fell, overwhelming rivers and streams. The Mississippi and Minnesota rivers spilled over their banks, destroying property and leaving residents scrambling for safety.
Severe storms
Eleven severe storms wreaked havoc across the country, causing $27 billion in damage and claiming 21 lives. A storm in Memphis, Tennessee, persisted for days, pounding the city with large hail, destructive winds, heavy rain, and even spawning isolated tornadoes.
Other powerful systems swept through Louisiana, Texas, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado. These storms unleashed baseball-sized hail, shredded infrastructure, and knocked out power grids. Wind speeds rivaled those of major hurricanes, leaving widespread devastation in their wake.
One of the most destructive events was a rare derecho that ripped across Houston, Texas. The storm shattered windows, toppled buildings, and left nearly 1 million people without power—forcing residents to endure weeks of dangerous, sweltering heat without relief.
Wildfires
In Lincoln, New Mexico, a devastating wildfire scorched more than 1,000 acres, caused nearly $2 billion in damage, and claimed two lives. But the fire was only part of a rare and punishing sequence of disasters. Within a single week, New Mexico endured a triple blow: raging wildfires, a tropical storm that unleashed hail and flash floods, and a rare dust storm that choked the air, slowed first responders, and brought traffic to a standstill.
Heat waves
In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a blistering heatwave caused $5 billion in damages and claimed 136 lives. A relentless “blanket of heat” smothered much of the country, putting 130 million people in the U.S. at risk as record-breaking temperatures dragged on for days. The extreme heat strained power grids, endangered outdoor workers, and left vulnerable communities fighting to survive the sweltering conditions.
Winter storms
Two massive winter storms caused nearly $4 billion in damage and claimed 61 lives. In Grenada, Mississippi, freezing rain, sleet, and snow turned roads into sheets of ice, causing widespread closures, power outages, and bursting pipes that left communities struggling to cope.
On the other side of the country, Portland, Oregon, was paralyzed when 1.5 inches of ice coated the city. Streets were brought to a dangerous standstill, and emergency crews were overwhelmed—unprepared for a storm of such scale.
2024 showed us the staggering cost of climate-fueled disasters. Sixteen states were hit by billion-dollar events that left families grieving, communities rebuilding, and economies reeling. The message could not be clearer: we are living in a state of climate emergency.
Instead of dismantling protections, EPA should be safeguarding our health, safety, and future from climate pollution. The Endangerment Finding is the foundation of those protections, and it must be preserved.
You can help! Sign our petition before September 22 and tell EPA to do its job: Protect us from the dangers of climate change.
Tell Administrator Zeldin: Cutting Climate Pollution Is Essential for Our Families’ Health