Reed & Whitehouse Seek to Restore NOAA’s Extreme Weather Database, Keep Americans Informed of Natural Disasters

WASHINGTON, DC - After the Trump Administration terminated America's extreme weather database that has tracked the cost of disasters since 1980, a group of leading U.S. Senators is fighting back.

U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are teaming up with U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) and several colleagues in introducing the Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act. legislation that would reverse the Trump Administration's reckless decision to end the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s extreme weather database, which has been vital to keeping families, researchers, and policy makers informed on the cost of natural disasters.

The legislation would require NOAA to restore and maintain the Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database, which collects and publishes information on natural disasters resulting in at least $1 billion in damage each year in the United States.

In addition to Welch, Reed and Whitehouse, the Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).

"The Trump Administration is on the warpath to attack science and wreck any progress we've made to help fight climate change. That includes the President's decision to terminate NOAA's extreme weather tracker, which was vital in sharing information with Vermonters during and after the brutal floods in July of 2023 and 2024. And it's not just Vermont-this database has been absolutely essential in providing information about the cost of building back homes, businesses, and towns across the country after major weather disasters. The reality is that without this tool, we'll be worse off and less informed about how to help our communities recover when natural disasters hit," said Senator Welch. "Our legislation will reverse the Trump Administration's reckless decision and restore this database so crucial to emergency preparedness and reducing costs of natural disasters."

"NOAA's database on the impacts of severe weather events is essential. As climate change increases the severity, frequency, and cost of these events, we must do more to help our communities prepare and respond," said Senator Reed. "This data has been instrumental in helping communities better understand the growing toll of extreme weather. The Trump Administration's actions to significantly downsize NOAA leaves our communities less prepared and less informed about the dangers of severe weather events."

"Trump's megadonors want to hide the skyrocketing costs of their decades-long fossil fuel disinformation campaign. That's why the corrupt Trump Administration shut down data reporting on billion-dollar weather disasters. Hiding the cost of climate chaos-as extreme weather grows increasingly frequent-won't protect families and communities, but it will enable Trump's fossil fuel patrons to keep cashing in while the rest of us pay the price," said Senator Whitehouse.

Since 1980, NOAA has maintained a database of all weather disasters in the United States totaling at least $1 billion in damage. The Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database has been essential in tracking how an exponential increase in climate-driven natural disasters over the last two decades has raised costs associated with disaster recovery. The database has also helped communities and lawmakers more effectively allocate resources before extreme weather events.

From 1980-2024, the Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database recorded 403 weather and climate disasters resulting in at least $1 billion in damages. Combined, losses from these events exceed $2.9 trillion.

In 2024, the United States experienced 27 individual weather and climate disasters over $1 billion in damages, totaling more than $182.7 billion-the fourth highest on record behind 2017, 2005, and 2022. As the severity and cost of natural disasters continue to rise, research tracking the type and frequency of extreme weather events is crucial to ensuring the efficient allocation of resources and effective resilience strategies.

However, in May 2025, the Trump Administration discontinued the Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database as part of its efforts to destroy programs and research related to climate change. Cancelling this publicly available database threatens emergency preparedness, undercuts science research vital to fighting climate change, and weakens national and community-level efforts to reduce the cost of disasters.

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