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Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help. More Info ### I would like to contribute One Time Monthly Yearly Join Now ![](\\" new/e5f81dc43ebbfab7c9d9b56cfba2f398.jpg\\") ![](\\" new/9fbc38bd9f4148c4e7374ecdd8d95da4.jpg\\") Tammy Baldwin stated on December 10, 2019 in a tweet: “Over the past two years, climate and weather disaster damage has cost the U.S. over $400 billion.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" mostly-true/4ac7c61540eff5211f6a04d98a6bc93a.jpg.\\") ![\\"mostly- true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") * Environment * Climate Change * Federal Budget * Wisconsin * Tammy Baldwin ![\\"NOAA\\'s](\\" NOAA\'s GOES satellite shows Hurricane Irma as it moves towards Florida on Sept. 7, 2017. ![\\"Nusaiba](\\" By Nusaiba Mizan February 5, 2020 # Wisconsin Sen. Baldwin makes point with claim on costs of climate change damage in U.S. #### If Your Time is short • A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report estimates the United States incurred $400 billion in damages from weather and climate disasters from 2015 through April 6, 2018. • The NOAA calculation includes damage to buildings and public infrastructure, among other costs. The agency tracks damage from drought, flooding, freeze, severe storms, tropical cyclones, wildfires and winter storms. • Several experts from academia agreed that the NOAA numbers are probably the best available for the United States. See the sources for this fact-check When it comes to weather and climate change, there has been lots of talk about causes and consequences. In some areas of Wisconsin this winter, rapidly melting snow has overtaken roads and caused sewage to overflow, while flooding and its effects continue to be a concern. The National Weather Service in Green Bay indicated most rivers in northeastern Wisconsin have more than a 50% chance of flooding to some extent. Whether it be the toll on infrastructure or disrupting business operations, weather and climate change carries a monetary cost. On Dec. 10, 2019, the U.S. Senate Democrats’ Climate Committee sent out a tweet arguing Wisconsin roads and bridges are at risk of collapse from severe storms and flooding. That same day, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., tweeted this about the national cost: \"Over the past two years, climate and weather disaster damage has cost the U.S. over $400 billion and our economy will lose over $500 billion annually from lost labor, crop failure and damages related to extreme weather if we don’t #ActOnClimate now.\" Is Baldwin right about $400 billion-plus in damages? The source When asked for backup for the claim, Baldwin’s staff pointed to The Fourth National Climate Assessment, a 1,526-page document that examines the effects, risks and course of climate change in the United States. The Fourth National Climate Assessment is a cooperative effort between experts from academia and government agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Department of the Interior. On page 66, the report indicates NOAA estimates the United States incurred $400 billion in damages from weather and climate disasters from 2015 through April 6, 2018. But that figure is for different years and a longer time period (three-plus years) than Baldwin claimed. NOAA climatologist Adam Smith from the Center for Weather and Climate at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information in Asheville, N.C., noted the numbers in the report are also a bit dated. He pointed us to newer figures. #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron DeSantis stated on August 28, 2024 in a press conference The proposal to put golf courses, hotels in Florida state parks “was something that was leaked. … a lot of that stuff was half-baked and was not ready for prime time.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" mostly-false/6a6ef6075c162fdccf5eb960e683dcd1.jpg.\\") ![\\"barely- true\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Samantha Putterman • August 29, 2024 Baldwin’s reference was to the \"past two years.\" She made the statement in December 2019, so examining the two-year span immediately before that, her numbers are dramatically off. NOAA estimates the U.S. experienced $137.8 billion of economic damage from 2018 and 2019 when adjusted for the consumer price index, and $135.6 billion unadjusted. However, looking at the two most recent full years before Baldwin’s claim — 2017 and 2018 — Baldwin’s figures line up. NOAA estimates the inflation- adjusted damage in those calendar years was $411.7 billion. The NOAA calculation includes damage to buildings and public infrastructure, among other costs. The agency tracks damage from drought, flooding, freeze, severe storms, tropical cyclones, wildfires and winter storms. Smith said in an email NOAA uses data from agencies such as the National Weather Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the National Interagency Fire Center. There are some types of data they do not include due to inconsistencies. \"For example, our disaster cost estimates are actually somewhat conservative, as we don’t account for losses/damages to natural capital assets, mental and physical healthcare-related costs post-disaster, or incorporate all downstream economic impacts,\" Smith wrote. We checked with several experts from academia who agreed that the NOAA numbers are probably the best available for the United States. The agency’s data shows that the number of disasters that topped $1 billion in damages has increased each decade since the 1980s. There were 119 weather and climate disasters that topped that threshold during the 2010s, up from 59 in the 2000s, even after adjusting for inflation. Over the past three years (2017 through 2019), there was an average of nearly 15 disasters that topped $1 billion in damages. Our ruling Baldwin said \"Over the past two years, climate and weather disaster damage has cost the U.S. over $400 billion.\" Her claim is on target for 2017 and 2018 -- though if the two years were measured from the date of her claim, essentially covering 2018 and 2019, there was a much-lesser amount in damages. Our definition of Mostly True is \"The statement is accurate but needs clarification or additional information.\" That fits here. #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Email interview with Adam Smith, NOAA through NOAA’s Office of Communications for Satellites, Jan. 14, 2020 Email interview with Dr. Frances Moore, assistant professor at UC Davis, Jan. 15, 2020 Email interview with Dr. James Rising, research fellow at the London School of Economics, Jan. 21, 2020 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, \"Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters: Summary Stats,\" 2020. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, \"Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters: Time Series,\" 2020. Adam Smith (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), \"2010-2019: A landmark decade of U.S. billion-dollar weather and climate disasters,\" Jan. 8, 2020. ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Nusaiba Mizan slide 4 to 6 of 15 ![](\\" ![](\\" Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated on April 29, 2022 in a tweet: \"In Texas, Republicans passed a law allowing rapists to sue their victims for getting an abortion.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Nusaiba Mizan • May 9, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tim Westley stated on March 30, 2022 in an interview: \"We have (people detained by ICE) that have to be seen within 24 hours, while veterans are seen within months. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Nusaiba Mizan • April 25, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Greg Abbott stated on February 3, 2022 in a press conference: \"As compared to last year, Texas has about 15% more power generation capacity.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Nusaiba Mizan • April 4, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Morgan Luttrell stated on January 10, 2023 in a tweet: \"Energy costs are the highest in 15 years.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Nusaiba Mizan • February 16, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Sawyer Hackett stated on January 16, 2023 in a tweet: Gov. Abbott “signed a bill last year eliminating the requirements for Texas schools to teach MLK’s ‘I have a dream’ speech.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Nusaiba Mizan • February 14, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Morgan Luttrell stated on January 10, 2023 in a tweet: \"Biden drained America\'s Strategic Petroleum Reserves to the lowest level since 1984.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Nusaiba Mizan • January 19, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Greg Abbott stated on August 31, 2022 in a campaign event: Three court rulings since May 2022 “have made it clear that it is unconstitutional to ban someone between the ages of 18 and 20 from being able to buy an AR.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Nusaiba Mizan • September 21, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 14, 2022 in a Facebook post: \"FEC charges (Beto O\'Rourke\'s 2018 campaign) Illegal Campaign Contributions.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Nusaiba Mizan • September 8, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Beto O\'Rourke stated on June 27, 2022 in an Instagram post: \"Under Abbott, Texas leads the nation in rape offenses while the rate of arrests for rape has fallen by nearly half.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Nusaiba Mizan • August 9, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Beto O\'Rourke stated on May 29, 2022 in a tweet: \"38,000 Texans had their license to carry denied, revoked, or suspended over the last five years because law enforcement deemed them too dangerous to carry a loaded gun in public. But thanks to Greg Abbott\'s new law, they don\'t need a license to carry anymore.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Nusaiba Mizan • July 21, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Greg Abbott stated on May 15, 2022 in a tweet: Texas\' public high school graduation rate is at 90% overall. ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Nusaiba Mizan • July 14, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ted Cruz stated on June 4, 2022 in a tweet: \"The impact of President Biden being beholden to the Green New Deal radicals in his party has electricity costs through the roof in Texas.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Nusaiba Mizan • June 21, 2022 ![](\\" black/4590875651af69b2c789ceab409664dd.jpg\\") ![](\\" black/72988380e8c8bd188dc360d11552e4a0.jpg\\") X posts stated on May 24, 2022 in un tuit: ICE está en Uvalde, Texas, “entonces los padres indocumentados tienen que temer la deportación antes de verificar si sus hijos están vivos\". ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Nusaiba Mizan • May 26, 2022 ![](\\" black/4590875651af69b2c789ceab409664dd.jpg\\") ![](\\" black/72988380e8c8bd188dc360d11552e4a0.jpg\\") X posts stated on May 24, 2022 in a tweet: ICE is in Uvalde, Texas, “so undocumented parents have to consider arrest deportation before they go check to see if their kids are alive.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Nusaiba Mizan • May 25, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Beto O\'Rourke stated on April 23, 2022 in an Instagram post: \"Under Greg Abbott, property taxes have gone up $20 billion.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Nusaiba Mizan • May 19, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated on April 29, 2022 in a tweet: \"In Texas, Republicans passed a law allowing rapists to sue their victims for getting an abortion.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Nusaiba Mizan • May 9, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Tim Westley stated on March 30, 2022 in an interview: \"We have (people detained by ICE) that have to be seen within 24 hours, while veterans are seen within months. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Nusaiba Mizan • April 25, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Greg Abbott stated on February 3, 2022 in a press conference: \"As compared to last year, Texas has about 15% more power generation capacity.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Nusaiba Mizan • April 4, 2022 ![](\\" ![](\\" Morgan Luttrell stated on January 10, 2023 in a tweet: \"Energy costs are the highest in 15 years.\" ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Nusaiba Mizan • February 16, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Sawyer Hackett stated on January 16, 2023 in a tweet: Gov. Abbott “signed a bill last year eliminating the requirements for Texas schools to teach MLK’s ‘I have a dream’ speech.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Nusaiba Mizan • February 14, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Morgan Luttrell stated on January 10, 2023 in a tweet: \"Biden drained America\'s Strategic Petroleum Reserves to the lowest level since 1984.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Nusaiba Mizan • January 19, 2023 ### Wisconsin Sen. Baldwin makes point with claim on costs of climate change damage in U.S. * ![](\\" ![](\\" Threads posts stated on September 13, 2024 in a post on Threads: “ABC lost $27M in ad revenue after advertisers pulled ads from the network after the way they hosted the debate\" on Sept. 10. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Madison Czopek • September 15, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 8, 2024 in a social media post: Photos that show lists of school names are “school shooting lists.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Andy Nguyen • September 15, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 12, 2024 in an Instagram post: A video shows a body that Israel embedded with a bomb exploding during a Palestinian funeral procession. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sofia Ahmed • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 11, 2024 in a post: “ESPN has fired Shannon Sharpe.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Gideon Hess • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Threads posts stated on September 12, 2024 in a post on Threads: An image shows Travis Kelce responding to Elon Musk X post that followed Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Madison Czopek • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 12, 2024 in an Instagram post: Former President Donald Trump admitted during the Sept. 10 presidential debate that he “blew up the Nord Stream pipeline.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Loreben Tuquero • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 10, 2024 in a Facebook post: Patron, Don Julio and Pink Whitney tequila recalled because they contained fecal matter. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jeff Cercone • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Elissa Slotkin stated on September 11, 2024 in a TV ad: Mike Rogers supported “laws that could eliminate IVF and birth control.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Caleb McCullough • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 11, 2024 in an Instagram post: \"Debate moderators made the false claim to Donald Trump that there is nowhere in the United States where abortion is legal up until birth.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Jeff Cercone • September 13, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 12, 2024 in a Facebook post: ABC News fired presidential debate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Sofia Ahmed • September 13, 2024 Load more ### Support independent fact-checking. 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Over the past two years climate and weather disaster damage has cost the US over 400 billion