Context:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced it will cease tracking the costs of extreme weather events linked to climate change beyond 2024. This decision aligns with the Trump administration's broader efforts to reduce federal focus on climate change, affecting NOAA's ability to monitor environmental impacts. NOAA's critical Billion-dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database, which has historically tracked major costly weather events, will be archived. Experts warn that discontinuing this data collection could hinder public understanding of climate change's financial impact, especially as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe. The decision is part of a broader trend under the Trump administration to prioritize industries linked to climate damage over environmental monitoring and protection efforts.

Dive Deeper:

• NOAA, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, will stop updating its Billion-dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database after 2024, which has tracked the financial impact of major weather events since 1980.

• The move is part of the Trump administration's strategy to minimize federal resources directed towards climate change, prioritizing polluting industries such as coal, oil, and gas instead.

• The NOAA database, regarded as the 'gold standard' for evaluating the costs of extreme weather, is unparalleled due to its access to comprehensive and nonpublic data from various sources.

• Experts emphasize that extreme weather events are one of the main indicators of climate change for the public and that discontinuing this data risks diminishing awareness of climate change's effects.

• The decision may exacerbate challenges faced by the insurance industry, as climate change increases the frequency and severity of natural disasters, leading to higher premiums and financial risks for homeowners.

• The change follows significant workforce reductions at NOAA under the Trump administration, which insiders warned could compromise the accuracy and reliability of U.S. weather forecasts.

• Despite the NOAA database's termination, alternative data sources such as insurance brokers and international disaster databases may serve as substitutes, though they lack the same comprehensive scope.