
States with the costliest weather events
Damage to property from extreme and violent weather costs U.S. states trillions of dollars over the last 10 years alone, often pressuring already limited resources.
People around the world watched as Hurricane Irene tore up the Atlantic seaboard in 2011, devastating Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. Superstorm Sandy hammered the Atlantic Coast—and New Jersey in particular—a year later. Residents of Puerto Rico are still struggling to rebuild after 2017's Hurricane Maria; which devastated the island before Hurricane Michael rammed into Florida in 2018. Other expensive and terrifying disasters, such as 2010 flooding that affected every city and town in Rhode Island, escape widespread national attention yet cause injuries and wrenching losses.
Violent weather events rarely occur on their own. The remains of hurricanes and tropical storms travel, wreaking havoc even as they weaken. Cold air meets warm air, creating thunderstorms that spawn tornadoes and hail. Wildfires gather strength in windy, hot, and dry conditions. Hail storms build when updrafts in thunderstorms push raindrops into colder parts of the atmosphere, where they freeze into hard balls of ice. Particularly when they strike populated areas, tornadoes and hailstorms cause extraordinary damage.
Over the last decade, 19 states saw more than $1 trillion in property damage from violent weather. Texas leads with $17.1 trillion in damage, followed by Puerto Rico with $16.5 trillion in property damage. Puerto Rico also has the highest annual property damage per capita over the last decade, with more than $517 per resident. Climate change is expected to raise those totals exponentially in the coming years, evidenced already by the damages already accrued over the last decade.
Stacker has ranked states (including Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico) by total property damages due to weather events in each state between 2009 and 2018. Data was mined from the OAA Storm Events Database from the US. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (last updated April 2019). Read on to see where your state lands.
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#52. District of Columbia
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $2.6 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $0.37 (Rank: #52 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2011 tropical storm in District Of Columbia ($2 million in property damage)
Hurricane Irene made landfall in North Carolina around 7:30 a.m. Aug. 27, 2011, as it tracked up the Mid-Atlantic Coast, continuing along just east of Ocean City, Md., and producing tropical storm conditions across Washington D.C. during the afternoon that lasted into the following morning. The highest rainfall total was 4.44 inches at the National Arboretum. Numerous downed trees and power lines caused an estimated $2.4 million in damage. In the past decade, the District of Columbia has suffered the least weather damage compared with the 50 states and Puerto Rico, as Washington D.C.'s location is relatively protected by its location tucked on the shores of the Potomac River more than 100 miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean.
#51. Maine
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $33 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $2.46 (Rank: #51 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2018 flood in Aroostook ($3 million in property damage)
An above-average, seasonal snowpack and cold start to April in 2018 delayed snowmelt. When rainfall came and stayed from the last week of April into the start of May, it created significant flooding across Aroostook County, causing $3 million in property damage that was exacerbated by still-frozen lakes sending ice crashing into properties and structures. Flooding along the Fish River caused roads and bridges to close, and damaged homes along its banks.
#50. Hawaii
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $44.9 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $3.16 (Rank: #49 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2018 flash flood in Kauai ($18 million in property damage)
Rainfall of nearly 50 inches in a 24-hour period in 2018 helped to trigger a devastating flash flood on Hawaii's Kauai island. The historic flash flood caused $18 million in property damages, with the cost of repairs to highways and roads estimated at $35 million. In 24 hours, 49.69 inches of rain fell over the island, surpassing the U.S. record of 43 inches in Alvin, Texas, in July 1979.
#49. Delaware
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $66.9 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $6.91 (Rank: #41 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2009 coastal flood in Delaware Beaches ($40 million in property damage)
A powerful Nor'easter storm in 2009 brought high winds, tidal flooding, heavy rain, and severe erosion to the coastal beaches of Delaware, causing $40 million in property damage. Parts of its major coastal highway were heaped with sand piled 3 feet high. The storm was originally Hurricane Ida, which made landfall in Alabama before moving up the Atlantic Coast. The low pressure of the former hurricane met with a high-pressure system from the north that increased the winds and kept the storm from moving out to sea.
#48. New Hampshire
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $84.4 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $6.22 (Rank: #42 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2011 flash flood in Coos ($7 million in property damage)
As Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 moved north through New England, it brought wind, heavy rains, and flash flooding that took over small rivers and streams in the mountains of northern New Hampshire. Water flowed more than 100 times the normal rate in local rivers. Property damage in northernmost Coos County alone totaled $7 million.
#47. Rhode Island
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $105.7 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $10 (Rank: #35 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2010 flood in Providence ($27 million in property damage)
Persistent heavy rains in southern New England mixed with warm temperatures that melted snow to the north, causing flooding in March 2010 that slammed Rhode Island. Dams were breached, a portion of its main interstate highway was under as much as three feet of water, and sections of Amtrak's train tracks were submerged as much as 2 feet. All of Rhode Island's 39 cities and towns were affected, and property damage in Providence County came to $27 million.
#46. Wyoming
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $128.8 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $22.29 (Rank: #26 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2010 hail in Campbell ($46 million in property damage)
A severe thunderstorm in 2010 produced hail the size of golf balls in Gillette, Wyo., causing $46 million in property damage in the city and surrounding Campbell County. Hail is most common in high plains states such as Wyoming, where a lower atmospheric freezing point is lower than it is in other regions, turning rain into balls of ice. The 2010 storm damaged the roofs and windows of several thousand homes and buildings as well as thousands of automobiles. Several automobile dealerships reported damage to nearly all of their inventories.
#45. Connecticut
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $140.4 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $3.93 (Rank: #48 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2011 tropical storm in Windham ($20 million in property damage)
In 2011, Tropical Storm Irene drowned the East Coast and southern New England with rain, storm surges, and flooding. Sustained winds over several hours resulted in widespread tree damage and power outages across Connecticut, where Windham County alone suffered $20 million in property damage. Irene began as a hurricane in the Caribbean and had already made landfall twice, once in North Carolina and again in New Jersey, as it moved up the coast.
#44. Alaska
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $162.5 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $22.03 (Rank: #27 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2011 coastal flood in Srn Seward Peninsula Coast ($24 million in property damage)
No stranger to rough weather, Alaska lost the most in the last decade in a coastal flood on the southern Seward Peninsula coast that caused $24 million in property damage. The storm was among the strongest to hit the western coast of Alaska since 1974. Roads were washed out or covered in debris; afterward, heavy equipment was needed to clear them of giant chunks of ice. At Little Diomede, an island in the Bering Strait, waves were estimated to be 30 feet high.
#43. Montana
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $178.8 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $16.83 (Rank: #30 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2010 hail in Gallatin ($60 million in property damage)
A number of afternoon thunderstorms over southwest Montana in June 2010 produced hailstones as big as baseballs. The hail pounded on buildings, smashed windows and tore down trees and powerlines in Gallatin County, home to the city of Bozeman and Montana State University, causing $60 million in property damage.
#42. Maryland
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $180.4 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $2.99 (Rank: #50 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2018 flash flood in Frederick ($43 million in property damage)
Flash flooding in Maryland's Frederick County in May 2018 caused $43 million in property damage. The flooding resulted from a line of rainstorms that stalled, dropping as much as 6 inches of rain. A day later, another round of heavy rainfall struck much of the same area, dropping just as much rain again.
#41. Oregon
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $211.6 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $5.05 (Rank: #45 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2017 heavy snow in Lower Treasure Valley ($100 million in property damage)
Snow across most of eastern Oregon in 2017 caused $100 million in property damage in a region known as Lower Treasure Valley. Storms dropped snow in the area week after week, hitting near-record proportions.
#40. Nevada
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $259 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $8.54 (Rank: #38 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2012 hail in Clark ($50 million in property damage)
Moisture from summer monsoons fueled five days of thunderstorms over Nevada's Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin in 2012. The rash of storms produced hail in Clark County, with Las Vegas at the center, that caused $50 million in property damage.
#39. Utah
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $272.1 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $8.61 (Rank: #37 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2011 high wind in Northern Wasatch Front ($82 million in property damage)
High winds across Utah's Northern Wasatch Front caused $82 million in property damage in late 2011. The strong winds built as low-pressure and high-pressure weather systems met across much of the state. The powerful weather also brought heavy snowfall.
#38. Indiana
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $291.3 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $4.35 (Rank: #47 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2012 tornado in Clark ($55 million in property damage)
A stormy warm weather front in March of 2012 brought with it wind shear (when winds change speed, direction, and height) and supercells (storms with updrafts that rotate on a vertical axis). The violent weather produced several tornadoes, including one that traveled an unusually long path to southern Indiana and represented the area's worst tornado outbreak since 1990. Clark County at the southern end of the state suffered $55 million in property damage.
#37. South Dakota
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $309.2 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $35.05 (Rank: #16 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2013 winter storm in Minnehaha ($20 million in property damage)
A winter storm brought freezing rain, sleet, and snow to southeast South Dakota for two days straight in April 2013. Heavy ice built up on major roads and highways and downed trees and power lines. Property damage in the eastern end of the state in Minnehaha County, home to the state's biggest city Sioux Falls, caused $20 million in property damage.
#36. West Virginia
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $416.0 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $23.04 (Rank: #24 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2016 flash flood in Greenbrier ($40 million in property damage)
One of the worst flash floods in the history of West Virginia took place in June 2016 after several rounds of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall. The Greenbrier River rose at an astronomical rate, cresting at its third-highest height on record. Greenbrier County suffered 15 fatalities and $46 million in property damage.
#35. Virginia
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $430.2 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $5.05 (Rank: #44 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2016 flood in Chesapeake (C) ($20 million in property damage)
Virginia's Chesapeake County saw $20 million in property damage in flooding in the fall of 2016. A Mid-Atlantic cold front met up with the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Matthew off the coast, causing heavy rain and flooding that battered the region for five days.
#34. North Dakota
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $485.4 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $63.86 (Rank: #7 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2011 flood in Ward ($100 million in property damage)
Devastating flooding in North Dakota in 2011 resulted from major winter snows and spring rains in the state and to the north in Canada as well. River dams were overwhelmed, and the loss to agriculture was significant. Property damage in Ward County, where the city of Minot is located, came to $100 million.
#33. South Carolina
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $546.1 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $10.74 (Rank: #33 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2016 hurricane (typhoon) in Inland Horry ($67 million in property damage)
Hurricane Matthew in 2016 brought as much as 15 inches to some areas of northeastern South Carolina, and the bulk of the rain fell within a 12-hour period. The rain fell on regions already saturated from above-normal rainfall, and historic flooding ensued. Tens of thousands of people were forced to leave their homes, and the property damage in inland Horry County was $67 million.
#32. Massachusetts
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $585.3 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $8.48 (Rank: #39 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2011 tornado in Hampden ($228 million in property damage)
Massachusetts suffered its most costly weather disaster of the past decade in 2011 when tornadoes struck in the Berkshire Mountains. Formed from a mix of a low-pressure front, cold air, shifting winds and thunderstorms, the most damaging tornado traveled 38 miles through the western part of the state for an estimated 70 minutes. Hampden County saw $228 million in property damage.
#31. New Mexico
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $596.3 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $28.46 (Rank: #19 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2015 blizzard in Southwest Chaves County ($100 million in property damage)
A blizzard in New Mexico in 2015 cost the southwestern state the most in weather-related damages in the last 10 years. The storm developed over neighboring Arizona on Christmas Day, then moved east along the Mexican border. The snow mixed with an arctic cold front, creating blizzard conditions across almost half of New Mexico. Dozens of motorists were stranded in drifts as high as 10 feet, and residents were trapped in homes with drifts up to their roofs. Southwest Chaves County suffered $100 million in property damage.
#30. Minnesota
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $616.5 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $10.99 (Rank: #32 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2011 tornado in Hennepin ($166 million in property damage)
Early on a Sunday afternoon in May 2011, a line of thunderstorms developed across south central Minnesota and moved quickly to the north and northeast. The unstable weather spawned a tornado in North Minneapolis that led to at least one death and dozens of injuries as well as power outages and widespread destruction. The property damage in Hennepin County, where Minneapolis is located, amounted to $166 million.
#29. Wisconsin
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $691.4 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $11.89 (Rank: #31 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2018 flood in Dane ($33 million in property damage)
Moist air and heavy rains caused flash flooding in Wisconsin's Dane County in late summer 2018, causing $33 million in property damage. The state capital of Madison, in Dane County, sits on a narrow strip of former wetlands, surrounded by lakes, making it vulnerable to flooding.
#28. Pennsylvania
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $705.5 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $5.51 (Rank: #43 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2011 flood in Dauphin ($150 million in property damage)
Pennsylvania was slammed by flooding in 2011 that caused $150 million in property damage in Dauphin County, home to the capital city of Harrisburg. The widespread flooding was due to heavy rainfall for several days in September from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee. Rainfall in Harrisburg broke local precipitation records, and 2011 proved to be its wettest year on record.
#27. Idaho
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $730.8 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $41.66 (Rank: #13 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2012 wildfire in Caribou Highlands ($472 million in property damage)
A wildfire in the Caribou Highlands of Idaho caused $472 million in property damage in 2012. The 1,038-acre blaze, which started south of Pocatello, forced about 1,000 people from their homes. Dozens of homes were eventually destroyed by the flames, which took four days to contain.
#26. Kentucky
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $758.6 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $16.98 (Rank: #29 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2012 tornado in Morgan ($75 million in property damage)
Tornadoes touched down in eastern Kentucky in March 2012, causing $75 million in property damage in hard-hit Morgan County, where six people were killed. In the Morgan County town of West Liberty, every building in the downtown area suffered some damage, and several homes were blown off their foundations. The storms also produced very large hail, heavy rain, and flash flooding.
#25. Washington
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $783.7 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $10.40 (Rank: #34 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2014 wildfire in Okanogan Valley ($120 million in property damage)
A 2014 wildfire in Washington's Okanogan Valley caused $120 million in property damage and represents the largest blaze in state history. Lightning that struck drought-stricken central Washington created four fires that merged into one giant blaze in the hot, dry, and windy conditions. The fire spread rapidly, consuming some 325 homes as well as other buildings, cattle and livestock, orchards, crops, forest and rangeland, and destroying 269,186 acres.
#24. Nebraska
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $852.7 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $44.20 (Rank: #11 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2015 flood in Saline ($100 million in property damage)
Very heavy (and at times, record-breaking) rains fell across southeast Nebraska in May 2015. The downpours led to flooding on several rivers and creeks. The property damage in Saline County, where the capital city of Lincoln is located, amounted to $100 million.
#23. Ohio
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $870.7 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $7.45 (Rank: #40 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2010 tornado in Wood ($100 million in property damage)
The most expensive weather event in Ohio in the last decade occurred in 2010 when a tornado struck in Wood County, costing $100 million in property damage. Emerging from a very warm and humid air mass and thunderstorms, the tornado devastated the region and killed seven people.
#22. Oklahoma
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $977.6 billion
- Annual property damage per capita: $24.79 (Rank: #22 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2012 hail in Oklahoma ($250 million in property damage)
Costly Oklahoman hail storms in 2012 grew out thunderstorms, shifting winds, and warm, wet air from the Texas Panhandle. Very large hail and severe wind caused $250 million in property damage.
#21. Kansas
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $1.1 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $36.29 (Rank: #15 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2012 tornado in Sedgwick ($500 million in property damage)
A tornado striking Kansas in 2012 caused $500 million in property damage in Sedgwick County, which encompasses Wichita—the most populous city in the state, lying at the heart of the nation's so-called Tornado Alley. The twister swept through mobile home parks, ruptured gas lines, and severely damaged local businesses.
#20. Iowa
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $1.2 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $37.16 (Rank: #14 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2018 tornado in Marshall ($200 million in property damage)
Warm wet weather and wind patterns conspired to trigger a sizable tornado outbreak of more than a dozen twisters across Iowa in July 2018. Numerous injuries were reported, and property damage in Marshall County, northeast of Des Moines, came to $200 million.
#19. Vermont
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $1.4 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $226.09 (Rank: #2 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2011 flood in Orleans ($500 million in property damage)
Widespread flooding from Tropical Storm Irene devastated Vermont in August 2011. The disaster ranks second only to the state's November 1927 flood, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Nearly 2,400 roads, 800 homes and businesses, and 300 bridges—including many of the state's most picturesque and historic covered bridges—were destroyed or damaged. The property damage in Orleans County, along the border with Canada, was $500 million.
#18. Arizona
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $1.5 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $20.77 (Rank: #28 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2010 hail in Maricopa ($900 million in property damage)
Severe late-afternoon storms with damaging winds and hail bigger than baseballs struck parts of Phoenix, Arizona in October 2010, smashing windows and cars and crashing into roofs. The National Weather Service said the hailstones were the largest ever recorded in Phoenix's Maricopa County, where property damage came to $900 million.
#17. Tennessee
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $1.5 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $22.60 (Rank: #25 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2010 flood in Gibson ($500 million in property damage)
Flooding in western Tennessee in the spring of 2010 caused the most property damage in the state in the last decade. The deluge began after a cold front met warm, moist air blowing up from the Gulf of Mexico, causing heavy rain, thunderstorms, large hail, damaging winds, tornadoes, and flash flooding. Property damage in Gibson County, between Memphis and Nashville, came to $500 million.
#16. Missouri
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $1.7 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $27.21 (Rank: #20 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2011 tornado in St. Louis ($250 million in property damage)
A tornado tore through the St. Louis metropolitan area in 2011, spawned by storms that developed along the Interstate 70 corridor in Missouri and Illinois. It was accompanied by large hail and flash flooding. Property damage in St. Louis County was $250 million. Missouri, part of Tornado Alley, is often caught in the crosshairs of tornado season and is home to six of the 25 deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history: Joplin in 2011; St. Louis in 1927; Poplar Bluff in 1927; Tri-State Tornado in 1925; St. Louis in 1896; and Marshfield in 1880.
#15. New York
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $1.8 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $9.34 (Rank: #36 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2011 flood in Tioga ($309 million in property damage)
In 2011, the wet windy remains of Tropical Storm Lee stalled over New York state, mixing with moisture from Hurricane Katia. This produced an extreme amount of rain, most of which fell over a 48-hour period. The massive influx of water caused massive, record-breaking flooding on the region's small streams, creeks, and the Susquehanna River and its tributaries. Property damage in Tioga County reached $309 million.
#14. California
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $1.8 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $4.64 (Rank: #46 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2017 flood in Butte ($549 million in property damage)
Every Californian county has been declared a flood disaster area numerous times over the years, with 1 in 5 Californians and almost $600 billion in structures considered vulnerable to flooding. Many of the state's urban centers have insufficient drainage, making them—along with the state's many valleys—prone to flooding anytime there's heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, deserts and land remaining after wildfires can quickly be overrun by flash floods. The most expensive weather disaster to strike California in the past decade was flooding in February 2017, brought on by heavy rain that fell on the ground that was already saturated from earlier storms. Flooding was complicated by elevated reservoir levels and levee breaks that prompted large-scale mandatory evacuations. Major highways were shut down due to mudslides, heavy snow, flooding, and washouts. Property damage in Butte County in California's Central Valley north of Sacramento was $549 million.
#13. Alabama
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $2.1 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $42.41 (Rank: #12 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2011 tornado in Jefferson ($700 million in property damage)
A tornado outbreak in April 2011 broke the record for the number of tornadoes in a single day in Alabama. The strong, violent storms tore across the central part of the state. One tornado crossed Tuscaloosa and suburbs of Birmingham, causing the complete destruction of whole neighborhoods as well as numerous injuries and fatalities in the heavily populated areas. Property damage in Jefferson County, which includes Birmingham, amounted to $700 million.
#12. Mississippi
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $2.1 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $71.24 (Rank: #6 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2011 tornado in Lawrence ($500 million in property damage)
Mississippi's most expensive weather calamity of the last 10 years came in 2011 when powerful tornadoes ripped across the state, part of a huge storm system that stretched across the South. Nearly 1,500 reports of severe weather came from 15 states, most of them being damaging winds. Storm damage was worst in Mississippi's Lawrence County, where it cost $500 million in property loss.
#11. Arkansas
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $2.3 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $76.36 (Rank: #4 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2014 tornado in Faulkner ($210 million in property damage)
In April of 2014, a supercell—a powerful thunderstorm with a spinning updraft—developed along a line where cool air met warmer air in central Arkansas. The supercell produced five tornadoes, the first of which killed 16 people and was the deadliest single tornado in Arkansas since 1968. Property damage in Faulkner County was $210 million.
#10. Michigan
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $2.5 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $24.71 (Rank: #23 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2014 flash flood in Oakland ($400 million in property damage)
Historic rains unfolded over Southeast Michigan in August 2014, causing major flooding and road closures. Hardest hit were metropolitan Detroit and surrounding communities, where roughly 75,000 homes and businesses were damaged. The city's roads, bridges and sewer pumps were overwhelmed as well. The cost of property damage in Oakland County, just northwest of Detroit, was $400 million.
#9. Georgia
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $3.0 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $28.62 (Rank: #18 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2017 tornado in Dougherty ($300 million in property damage)
Deadly tornadoes in Georgia came amid several days of severe weather in January 2017 that caused 16 deaths. One tornado traveled more than 70 miles through three counties, causing extensive property damage in Dougherty County totaling $300 million.
#8. North Carolina
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $3 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $29.01 (Rank: #17 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2018 hurricane in Inland Pender ($300 million in property damage)
Hurricane Florence slammed North Carolina in September 2018, making landfall near Wrightsville Beach. Winds were recorded at 106 mph at Cape Lookout and 105 mph at Wilmington International Airport. Historic rainfalls totaled 20 to 25 inches, with isolated totals of 35 inches. Flash flooding was severe and widespread, dozens of main highways were impassible and many communities were flooded for the first time. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration described river flooding as "epic." The hurricane spawned 19 tornadoes. In Pender County, more than 6,000 structures were damaged and property damage totaled $300 million.
#7. Illinois
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $3.3 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $25.53 (Rank: #21 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2013 tornado in Tazewell ($910 million in property damage)
Powerful tornadoes struck Illinois in November 2013, borne out of numerous severe thunderstorms. A total of 10 tornadoes touched down across central Illinois, including one that devastated Tazewell County, less than a three-hour drive southwest of Chicago, and caused $910 million in property damage.
#6. Colorado
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $4.2 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $73.18 (Rank: #5 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2012 wildfire in Northern El Paso County / Monument Ridge / Rampart Range Below 7500 ft. ($400 million in property damage)
The Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado in 2012 burned more than 18,000 acres over the course of 18 days. It started just west of Colorado Springs and by the time it was contained had destroyed nearly 350 homes. The blaze caused $400 million in property damage in northern El Paso County, Monument Ridge, and Rampart Range.
#5. New Jersey
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $4.9 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $54.56 (Rank: #9 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2012 coastal flood in Middlesex ($500 million in property damage)
Superstorm Sandy in October 2012 was the costliest natural disaster in New Jersey's history, with record-breaking tides, waves, and high winds. Across the state, the storm destroyed or significantly damaged 30,000 homes and businesses and left about 2.4 million households without power. Sandy made landfall just north of Atlantic City, where waves were estimated to be between 12 and 24 feet high. Most of the damage was caused by the storm surge, which averaged 4 to 5 feet. Middlesex County was hardest hit, with $500 million in property damage.
#4. Louisiana
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $7.3 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $156.00 (Rank: #3 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2016 flash flood in East Baton Rouge ($722 million in property damage)
A flash flood in Louisiana in 2016 caused $722 million in property damage in East Baton Rouge Parish. Heavy rainfall occurred across a swath of East Baton Rouge and two other parishes, where 20 to 30 inches fell over a 48-hour period and caused widespread flash flooding and river flooding.
#3. Florida
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $9.5 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $44.74 (Rank: #10 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2018 storm surge/tide in Coastal Bay ($700 million in property damage)
Florida was slammed by Hurricane Michael in October 2018, where the storm surge and tides caused $70 million in property damage in the state's coastal Bay County. Michael made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on the Florida Panhandle and, based on its winds, is the fourth most powerful hurricane to hit the United States in recorded history. Throughout the state, coastal cities and towns are preparing for future storm surges and rising sea levels with blueprints similar to Miami, where communities barely above sea level are utilizing all available artillery including raising street levels, installing mini sewage treatment plants, and even building artificial islands for water purification.
#2. Puerto Rico
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $16.5 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $517.77 (Rank: #1 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2017 flash flood in Aguas Buenas ($750 million in property damage)
Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico in September 2017, making landfall with sustained winds as high as 155 mph. The center of the storm traveled across the island with its high winds and catastrophic flooding. Residents reported feeling the ground shake. The last time Puerto Rico experienced a Category 4 or stronger hurricane was in 1928 when Hurricane San Felipe II, a Category 5 storm, struck. In Hurricane Maria, flash flooding in the mountainous region of Aguas Buenas caused $750 million in property damage.
#1. Texas
- Total property damage 2009-2018: $17.1 trillion
- Annual property damage per capita: $59.75 (Rank: #8 highest)
- Worst weather event: 2012 hail in Dallas ($900 million in property damage)
In Texas, a record-setting hail storm in 2012 caused $900 million in property damage in the state's northeastern Dallas County. Hailstones were up to 3 inches in diameter, and in some areas rained down for as long as a half hour. The state, which because of its sheer size gets virtually every kind of weather throughout its Northern Plains, Piney Woods, Trans-Pecos Region, Texas Hill Country, and South Texas. The state has around 132 tornadoes on average every year, with most occurring in the Red River Valley in North Texas. More tornadoes have been recorded here than in any other state.