Senate Democrats are working to reinstate a database that monitored billions of dollars in climate and weather-related disasters for decades, which was discontinued by the Trump administration this past May.
Since 1980, NOAA has kept a disaster database for events causing damages over $1 billion in the U.S., but the agency halted its initiatives this spring due to budget cuts in climate science research under the Trump administration.
The database and its annual reports shed light on how climate change is influencing extreme weather patterns, including increased travel to flood-prone areas and rising wildfire incidents. Lawmakers have utilized the report in assessing disaster funding while raising awareness about natural disaster costs.
In a statement to NBC News in May, a spokesperson from NOAA indicated that the closure of the database was “consistent with evolving priorities and staffing changes.”
Currently, Senate Democrats, led by Peter Welch, D-Vt., have introduced a bill that mandates NOAA to revive the database and update it at least biannually. Congress holds the power to dictate NOAA’s budget and outline its administrative functions.
Welch stated, “Our legislation is crucial to reversing the reckless actions of the Trump administration, restoring this database, and mitigating the expenses associated with emergency preparedness and natural disasters. This database is essential for understanding the financial implications of constructing homes, businesses, and communities nationwide after significant weather events.”
Neither the White House nor NOAA has provided a response to requests for comments.
More than a dozen senators have co-sponsored the bill, including Sen. Angela of Brooks and Chris Van Hollen, who represents Maryland, where NOAA is based.
This legislation may face uphill battles in becoming law as Republicans, who hold the Senate, are not supporting the bill.
The introduction of this new bill reflects mounting concerns and protests regarding funding at NOAA and other climate-focused organizations. Notably, NOAA’s database has seen leading scientists resign, with some leaving the agency in May due to the planned closure of the database. One of them, Smith, has since joined Climate Central, a nonprofit research organization dedicated to climate change, to continue the work he once conducted at NOAA.
Tom Di Liberto, a spokesperson for Climate Central, indicated that the organization has refrained from commenting on current policies or proposed legislation.
“We look forward to enhancing our in-house $1 billion disaster dataset,” Di Liberto noted in an email.
From 1980 to 2024, NOAA’s database has recorded a staggering total of $40 billion in disaster-related expenses. In the previous year alone, NOAA reported $27 billion in disasters, amounting to around $182.7 billion in costs. This year ranks as the second-lowest for reported multi-billion dollar disasters since 2023.
The analysis provided “direct costs” of disasters, encompassing damage to buildings, infrastructure, and crops. However, it did not factor in other important considerations, such as loss of life, health-related costs from disasters, or economic impacts on “natural capital,” including forests and wetlands, as detailed in a 2025 report from the Congressional Research Service.
NOAA adjusts its data annually to account for inflation.
Previous Reports highlight that developments in hazardous areas vulnerable to floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters have intensified over time, leading to an increase in both the number and cost of weather and climate disasters, ultimately raising the number of at-risk assets.
Moreover, climate scientists assert that extreme weather events are occurring more frequently. Climate change is raising temperatures, heightening the risks of heat waves, intense precipitation, and rapidly intensifying hurricanes.
NOAA has utilized a combination of private and public data to generate estimates, integrating information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Fire Centers, as well as private insurance data.
Like NOAA, these institutions are also experiencing budget cuts.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
