The top disasters of 2023, ranked by fatalities, were the Turkey-Syria Earthquake (over 55,000 deaths), Storm Daniel in Libya (over 4,000 deaths), Morocco Earthquake (nearly 3,000 deaths), Afghanistan Earthquake (over 1,400 deaths), and Cyclone Freddy (hundreds of deaths in Malawi/Mozambique). These events, alongside others like the Maui wildfires and extensive flooding in China, highlighted severe impacts from seismic activity, extreme weather, and climate change, making 2023 a year of significant global disasters.�
In 2023, the U.S. faced a record 28 billion-dollar weather disasters, costing an estimated $92.9 billion (inflation-adjusted), with the deadliest being a Southern/Midwestern drought and heat wave, and major events including wildfires (Maui), Hurricane Idalia, and severe storms. Globally, natural disaster costs were around $250 billion, including major earthquakes in Türkiye/Syria, floods in Europe, and Typhoon Doksuri, highlighting escalating climate-related impacts worldwide.
