Report: 90% of US counties hit with disaster in last decade

BY DREW COSTLEY
AP Science Writer

90% of counties in the United States suffered a weather-related disaster between 2011-2021, according to a report published on Wednesday. The authors of the report found that some counties experienced as many as 12 disasters over that ten-year period and that the U.S. had 20 disasters that cost at least $1 billion in disaster in 2021 alone. Over 300 million people — 93% of the country’s population — live in those counties. The authors say the federal data show how widespread the effects of climate change already are in the U.S. The report errs in attributing all weather disasters to climate change. But the data compiled on weather disasters and how funds are distributed can still be useful for communities.