Nearly 700 people died in 2021 meteorological disasters in the United States, with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii, a level that has not been recorded since 2011, according to a federal agency report released today.
The year “has been marked by extreme weather events throughout the United States, especially unusual heat” and “catastrophic meteorological events”, said the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
688 dead
and the capital, Washington, puts the death toll at 688, more than double the number of the previous year (262).
Human activity is responsible for a dangerous climate change manifested by more violent meteorological phenomena around the world.
Twenty such phenomena have caused damage of 1 or billion dollars in the US, the second largest number of such costly phenomena, after 2020, during which 22 such phenomena were recorded, according to NOAA.
The extreme phenomena
With among the disasters, four cyclones, three tornadoes, as well as floods, forest fires or heat and cold waves.
Such statistics are “a return to reality,” commented Rachel Klitous, an economist with the Union of Concerned Scientists ( “It has suffered multiple catastrophes,” she said.
Polar cold
A polar cold left millions of Americans without electricity in February , when a winter storm swept across large parts of the United States, even as far as Mexico. More than 20 deaths were recorded.
In August, Hurricane Ida hit the US coast of the Gulf of Mexico, causing floods and power outages. current, sinking large parts of the area into darkness. At least 47 people were killed in the northeastern part of the country.
Fourth warmest year
2021 was the fourth warmest year in 127 years of recorded temperatures, with an average temperature of 12.5 degrees Celsius for the entire continental US.
December was the warmest month ever recorded with mercury rising to 3 , 7 degrees higher than the average.
The average temperature in 2021 was about 1.3 degrees higher than the average of the 20th century.
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