What were the 16 catastrophic billion-dollar weather, climate events NOAA reported in 2017?

In this aerial photo, a neighborhood near Addicks Reservoir are flooded by rain from Tropical Storm Harvey Aug. 29, 2017, in Houston.

David J. Phillip, Associated Press

Diving into NOAA's 16 billion-dollar weather, climate events of 2017

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Extreme weather and climate disasters cost the United States a record $306 billion in 2017.

Wildfires scorched California, drought spread across the Plains, severe storms pummeled the Midwest, frost glazed over crops in the southeast and numerous deadly hurricanes carved a new path in the country’s soil.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, more unprecedented weather events are racking up the damage price tag. In 2017, there were 16 separate weather and climate disasters with losses exceeding $1 billion each, resulting in the deaths of 362 people.

From Hurricane Maria to the Midwestern tornado outbreak, what were the 16 most devastating weather and climate events this year?

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Kelly Reardon is cleveland.com's meteorologist. Please follow me on Facebook and Twitter @KellyRWeather.

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Robert F. Bukaty, Associated Press

#16 Southeast freeze, $1 billion

A surge of freezing air heavily damaged fruit crops across South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Kentucky and Virginia from March 14 to 16. According to NOAA, while mid-march freezes are not all that “climatologically unusual,” many crops in the southeast were blooming over three weeks early due to a stretch of abnormally warm weather in the preceding weeks. Georgia and South Carolina were hit the hardest, with the frost harming peaches, blueberries, strawberries and apples.

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Damage from an apparent tornado Sunday, Jan. 22 at a farm In Cook County, Georgia.

Brendan Farrington, Associated Press

#15 Southern tornado outbreak and western storms, $1.1 billion

Strong thunderstorms breeding 79 confirmed tornadoes killed 24 as they pummeled through Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas Jan. 20-22, also inflicting high wind damage in southern California. Winter tornado outbreaks are rare, and this event held the third largest number of tornadoes to occur in a single outbreak during a winter month (December, January or February) for records going back to 1950.

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Mature phase of tornado near Stuart, Iowa, on June 28, 2017.

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#14 Midwest severe weather, $1.4 billion

A swath of severe weather in the Midwest June 27-29 formed severe hail and inflicted extreme wind damage across Nebraska, Illinois and Iowa. According to National Weather Service records, over a dozen tornadoes touched down across parts of Iowa. Thankfully, no deaths were reported.

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#13 California flooding, $1.5 billion

Heavy rainfall inundated parts of California. Extremely intense and persistent rainfall encompassing northern and central California substantially damaged property and infrastructure from the resulting flooding, landslides and erosion. The famous Oroville Dam spillway sustained damage causing a multi-day evacuation of 188,000 residents downstream, reports NOAA. San Jose flooded as Coyote Creek overflowed forcing 14,000 residents to evacuate. Five deaths resulted from the notable floods Feb. 8-22.

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Tornadoes in three states: Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska June 12, 2017.

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#12 Midwest severe weather, $1.5 billion

Thunderstorms produced high winds, thick hail and numerous tornadoes across Wyoming, Texas, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Virginia and New York. The severe weather lasted June 12-16, and no deaths were reported directly from the storm. The National Weather Service office in Cheyenne, Wyoming described this round of storms as “one of the most significant severe weather outbreaks to impact southeast Wyoming and the western Nebraska panhandle in the past 30 years.”

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#11 Missouri and Arkansas flooding and central severe weather, $1.7 billion

Days of heavy rainfall from April 25 to May 7 dumped 15 inches over a multi-state region in the Midwest killing 20 and leading to historical levels of flooding in area rivers. Missouri, Arkansas and southern Illinois were the hardest hit, where levees breached and towns were flooded, according to NOAA’s report. The flood caused widespread damage to homes, businesses, infrastructure and agriculture. The severe storms did reach across some central and southern states with lesser impacts.

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Perryville, Missouri tornado damage.

National Weather Service Paducah, Kentucky

#10 Central/southeast tornado outbreak $1.8 billion

From Feb. 28 to March 1, an explosive area of thunderstorms produced over 70 confirmed tornadoes across many central and southern states, landing the event as the second largest outbreak of early 2017. Significant structural damage resulted in the paths of the tornadoes, along with widespread wind and hail damage. According to NOAA’s summary of the event, six people died as a direct result of the severe weather.

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Lee's Summit, Missouri, tornado damage Mar. 6.

National Weather Service Kansas City/Pleasant Hill, Missouri

#9 Midwest tornado outbreak, $2.2 billion

A Midwestern tornado outbreak March 6-8 killed two and inflicted major wind damage across Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin. Missouri and Illinois were the target of the numerous tornadoes, while over in Michigan and New York destructive winds were the problem. In Michigan alone, nearly a million customers lost power as the high sustained winds toppled lines.

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#8 Minnesota hailstorm and upper Midwest severe weather, $2.4 billion

One widely overlooked damaging weather parameter? Hail. June 9-11, severe hail and high winds caused “considerable” damage across Minnesota and Wisconsin, according to NOAA’s 2017 report. Large, destructive hail targeted the Minneapolis metro area in particular, damaging many buildings and vehicles. Thankfully, the extreme hail didn’t cause any deaths, but it did rack up a $2.4 billion price tag.

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In this July 13, 2017, photo, farmer John Weinand surveys a wheat field near Beulah, N.D., that should be twice as tall as it is.

Blake Nicholson, Associated Press

#7 North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana drought, $2.5 billion

North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana have sustained drought conditions since March 1. Damage was extensive, from destroyed field crops to a lack in feed for cattle forcing ranchers to sell off their livestock. With parched land, comes a threat of wildfires. NOAA says the drought in the northern Plains contributed to the increased potential for several area wildfires.

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#6 South/southeast severe weather, $2.7 billion

Down south, a thunderstorm carrying large hail with high winds led to sky-rocketing damage costs in north Texas, especially in the Dallas metro area. Structures and vehicles were pelted by the hail and impaled by blowing debris. Severe storms from the same system also traveled across Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi and Alabama inflicting more damage from the combination of high winds, hail and tornadoes. No deaths were reported from the March 26-28 storms.

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#5 Colorado hailstorm and central severe weather, $3.4 billion

A Colorado hailstorm and a severe weather outbreak in the central United States inflicted $3.4 billion in damages May 8-11. The heaviest impacts were in the Denver metro area, where hail reached the size of baseballs when thrashing the city. The incredible hail from this storm landed it as the most expensive hailstorm in Colorado history, with insured losses exceeding $2.2 billion, says NOAA. Hail and wind damage also spread across Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Missouri.

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Firefighters from Kern County, California, work to put out hot spots during a wildfire Dec. 16, 2017, in Montecito, California.

Chris Carlson, Associated Press

#4 Western wildfires, California firestorm, $18 billion

The western wildfires are breaking records. According to NOAA’s analysis, the combined destruction of the Tubbs, Atlas, Nuns and Redwood Valley wildfires represent the costliest wildfire event on record. In October, the firestorm damaged or completely destroyed over 15,000 homes, businesses and other structures. In December, the wildfire reached Los Angeles, burning hundreds of homes. “Numerous other wildfires across many western and northwestern states burned over 9.8 million acres exceeding the 10-year annual average of 6.5 million acres,” reports NOAA. In Montana alone, the fires burned over 1 million acres. NOAA suspects the preceding drought conditions in several states enhanced the wildfire conditions that killed 54 since June.

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Overturned trailers and debris sit at the Sunshine Key RV Resort, in Big Pine Key, Florida, Sept. 13, 2017. When Hurricane Irma slammed into the Lower Florida Keys, it destroyed or severely damaged nearly all of the area's mobile homes where many of its service industry workers live.

Wilfredo Lee, Associated Press

#3 Hurricane Irma, $50 billion

Hurricane Irma’s $50 billion price tag landed the storm as the third costliest weather and climate event from 2017. The hurricane impacted the United States Sept. 6-12, killing 97 people, according to NOAA. Irma made landfall as a Category 4 with 130 mph sustained winds at Cudjoe Key, Florida, after blasting through the U.S. Virgin Islands as a Category 5. In the Florida Keys, an estimated 25 percent of buildings were destroyed, while another 65 percent were significantly damaged. Further north in Orlando, wind gusts reached 70 to 80 mph and a number homes in suburbs were flooded with waist-deep water, warranting numerous rescues. Along the coast, from Florida to South Carolina, storm surge reached near-historic levels causing major coastal flooding.

Statistically, Irma was unprecedented. Irma maintained its Category 5 status for longer than all other Atlantic hurricanes except Hurricane Ivan in 2004, and is only one of five total hurricanes that have reached a maximum sustained wind speed greater than 185 mph. Irma maintained that speed for 37 hours, a new record. Irma marks the first time in recorded history two separate Category 4 continental U.S. landfalls occurred in the same hurricane season (not to mention within just 16 days), after Hurricane Harvey.

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A heavily damaged farm is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Sept. 28, 2017. The aftermath of the powerful storm has resulted in a near-total shutdown of the U.S. territory's economy.

Gerald Herbert, Associated Press

#2 Hurricane Maria, $90 billion

Hurricane Maria's deadly and destructive path inflicted a whopping $90 billion in damages, landing the storm as the second costliest of 2017. The whipping winds and heavy rain impacted the United States Sept. 19-21, killing 65. After striking St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Maria aimed toward Puerto Rico as a Category 4 causing widespread damage to the island's transportation, agriculture, communications and energy infrastructure. NOAA says up to 37 inches of rain fell as rates surged to 5 to 7 inches per hour, leading to widespread flooding and dangerous mudslides. At the end of December, half the island was still without power, and some parts of the island are not expected to gain power until the spring, reports the New York Times. Maria eventually traveled toward the east coast, making its closest approach to North Carolina on Sept. 27. The center remained 150 miles offshore, but the large wind field made it so some coastal areas were experiencing tropical storm-force winds. Storm surge for the most part remained under 2 feet off the coast of North Carolina and Virginia.

When you look at Maria’s stats, the damage is not that surprising. Maria tied Hurricane Wilma (2005) for the most rapid intensification, strengthening from a tropical depression to a Category 5 storm in 54 hours.

Maria’s landfall after Harvey and Irma gave the United States a record three Category 4 or stronger landfalls in 2017.

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Volunteer rescue boats make their way into a flooded subdivision to rescue stranded residents as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey rise Aug. 28, 2017, in Spring, Texas.

David J. Phillip, Associated Press

#1 Hurricane Harvey, $125 billion

Harvey grew rapidly before taking 89 lives. In just 56 hours, Harvey strengthened from a regenerated tropical depression over the Gulf of Mexico to a Category 4 hurricane as it spun toward the Texas Gulf coast with 130 mph winds on Aug. 25.

The storm center’s slow movement was the culprit behind the historic flooding in southeast Texas. Houston was the target. Near the city, more than 30 inches of rain fell on 6.9 million people, while 1.25 million experienced over 45 inches and 11,000 had over 50 inches, based on 7-day rainfall totals ending Aug. 31 from NOAA. That heavy rainfall displaced over 30,000 people and damaged or destroyed over 200,000 homes and businesses. Within the first 15 hours of making landfall, over 56,000 calls were made to Houston’s 911 center.

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Related coverage:

U.S. spends record $306 billion on weather, climate disasters in 2017

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