Quick Summary
Use dated National Weather Service figures with the hazard definitions attached. Wind, flood and hurricane statistics are not interchangeable measures of a storm’s total impact.
Storm damage statistics need both a date and a definition. The table below uses the National Weather Service’s 2024 natural-hazard summary, generated March 24, 2026. It reports damage by weather-event category. It is not an insurer’s total or a complete economic accounting for each named storm.
Selected 2024 weather damage estimates
| NWS hazard category |
Property damage, million dollars |
Crop damage, million dollars |
| Tornado |
1,724.15 |
8.53 |
| Thunderstorm wind |
413.66 |
29.06 |
| Hail |
227.65 |
142.86 |
| Flash flood |
3,148.36 |
101.58 |
| River flood |
649.25 |
4.91 |
| Tropical storm / hurricane |
7,549.35 |
1,763.01 |
| Winter storm |
36.12 |
5.50 |
| Ice |
37.33 |
0.00 |
Source: NWS 2024 national summary. Values are in millions of dollars, not individual dollars. These are selected rows, not all natural hazards. The NWS statistics hub also identifies preliminary 2025 data. We use the specified 2024 report here so the period and version are explicit.
Hurricane damage statistics do not all measure the whole hurricane
NWS explains that the hurricane/tropical-cyclone category attributes losses to wind. Related surge, rainfall flooding and tornado impacts appear in their respective event categories. Do not describe the hurricane row alone as every loss caused by hurricanes that year.
For a named storm, use the National Hurricane Center’s tropical-cyclone report and its stated methods. A hurricane’s wind category also does not measure its rainfall or surge hazard. Compare like definitions before ranking storms.
Flood and storm loss estimates have limits
NCEI describes property and crop damage as broad estimates assembled from available information. Reports can be revised, and different datasets may include different consequences. A zero or small reported value should not be taken as proof that no household suffered harm.
Insured losses, direct property damage, crop losses and wider economic effects answer different questions. Keep them in separate columns or explain the scope before comparing totals. Similarly, home water damage statistics may include plumbing leaks that are outside a storm-loss table.
Why a storm damage estimate for your house is different
National totals cannot price your roof, soaked flooring or contents cleanup. Request an assessment of the cause, affected materials, temporary protection, cleanup, drying and rebuilding. Keep the proposed work and exclusions in writing.
Use the quote comparison worksheet and storm recovery guide. Do not climb a damaged roof or enter floodwater to gather information for an estimate.
Comparing states and years
State size, development, the hazards counted and the particular year can change a ranking. A year with a major hurricane can produce a different pattern from a year dominated by inland storms. Our state comparison guide shows a dated example and explains the metric.
For a trend, use the same geography, categories, reporting method and treatment of inflation. A damage dollar total is not a count of storms, and an event count is not the number of unique damaged homes.
Before calculating a new storm-loss statistic
Save the exact source file and its version before changing a table. Decide whether you are counting event records, episodes, named storms or affected properties, and whether the geography includes territories or marine areas. Keep blank damage fields separate from recorded zeros.
Our NOAA storm-loss data methods example applies those checks to a specific 2025 file. It shows the calculation and source version without replacing this page’s explicitly dated 2024 published summary. Use the same definitions and filters before presenting a change between years.
Sources and further reading