A report released by CoreLogic, a US private analysis company, is offering a summary of the most significant disasters that struck the United States in 2013 and an analysis of the potential risks and changes in natural hazards that are expected in 2014 with regards to frequency and intensity of disasters.
The report states that in 2013 there were less weather-related disasters compared to 2012. At the close of 2012, on the heels of Hurricane Sandy and after record-setting wildfires burned through the West over the summer and fall, many predicted 2013 would be another year of catastrophic destruction. Fortunately, the number of disasters through most of this year has been relatively low in comparison to the last.
However, several large-scale hazard events have resulted in extreme damage and economic impact. The Colorado flooding in September of this year, for example, is estimated to have resulted in damage totals of approximately USD 2 billion. The tornadoes that ripped through Moore, Oklahoma, in May also caused losses in the neighborhood of USD 2 billion. The Colorado Black Forest Fire in June destroyed nearly 500 homes and caused an estimated USD 292 million in destruction, making it the most damaging and second costliest wildfire in Colorado history.
