Since 1980, there have been more than 44 weather related disasters in which damages and costs have exceeded $1 billion.
The worst year was 1998, when seven such disasters took place.
Here are the top 10:
Drought and heat wave, central and eastern states, 1980: $44 billion, 10,000 deaths
Drought and heat wave, central and eastern states, 1988: $56 billion, 7,500 deaths
Hurricane Andrew, Florida and Louisiana, 1992: $32.4 billion, 61 deaths
Midwestern flooding, 1993: $23.1 billion, 48 deaths
Hurricane Hugo, North and South Carolina, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, 1989: $12.6 billion, 86 deaths
Drought and heat wave, from Texas and Oklahoma eastward to the Carolinas, 1998: $7.5 billion, 200 deaths
Hurricane Floyd, North Carolina and other eastern seaboard states, 1999: $6.0 billion, 75 deaths
Hurricane Georges, Puerto Rico, Florida Keys, Gulf Coast states, 1998: $5.9 billion, 16 deaths
Hurricane Alicia, Texas, 1983: $5.4 billion, 21 deaths
Eastern seaboard storm blizzard, 1993: $5.0 billion, 270 deaths
