NOAA reports $16 billion in damages this year

As of September, the United States has hit $16 billion in disasters, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

September had more historic wildfires and tropical activity that were record-setters, the agency reported.

In 2020 so far, there have been $16 billion in weather disasters, including, just since June, wildfires, a drought across the western and central U.S., a heatwave, a derecho across the midwest, and Hurricanes Sally, Laura and Isaias, the NOAA reported.

California and Oregon both saw their hottest September to date and Arizona and Nevada saw their second-hottest September, according to the NOAA.

The NOAA reported that the average September temperature was 66 degrees, which is 1.1 degrees above average and was the third warmest September on record.

Other states had wet Septembers, with Georgia having its ninth-wettest September, according to the NOAA.

Between January and September, the average temperature across the continental United States was 57.3 degrees, which is 2.3 degrees above the 20th-century average. Florida has experienced the hottest year to date. Other states are in their third-hottest years, including Arizona, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

States that have experienced their third-wettest years to date include North Carolina, Mississippi, Virginia and Tennessee. Utah is experiencing its driest year to date, while Colorado is experiencing its second-driest year to date.

The U.S. has also experienced a total of 16 climate and weather disasters that had at least $1 billion each in losses, the NOAA reported. Eleven of those were severe storms, while five included tropical cyclones, wildfires and droughts. The severe storms affected more than 30 states, the NOAA reported.

This year is currently tied for the largest number of disasters in a calendar year with 2011 and 2017. It is so far the sixth consecutive year with more than $10 billion in disasters, according to NOAA.