The Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025 mandates the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create and maintain a public database and webpage. This platform will provide comprehensive information on every billion-dollar disaster that occurs annually within the United States, with updates occurring at least biannually. The required database and webpage must include specific details for each disaster, such as its estimated cost, type, location, and dates. It will also feature visual graphs and mapping capabilities, similar to those previously produced by the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) from 1980 through 2024, to illustrate disaster trajectories and distribution across the country. NOAA's Administrator will utilize available data and may collaborate with federal and non-federal partners to establish and maintain this resource. The bill also allows for the inclusion of disasters not meeting the billion-dollar threshold if deemed appropriate, and requires the maintenance of the previously existing NCEI disaster database for archiving and research purposes. A "billion-dollar disaster" is defined as a storm or severe weather event resulting in $1,000,000,000 or more in combined direct and market costs, as determined by NCEI.
The Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025 mandates the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create and maintain a public database and webpage. This platform will provide comprehensive information on every billion-dollar disaster that occurs annually within the United States, with updates occurring at least biannually. The required database and webpage must include specific details for each disaster, such as its estimated cost, type, location, and dates. It will also feature visual graphs and mapping capabilities, similar to those previously produced by the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) from 1980 through 2024, to illustrate disaster trajectories and distribution across the country. NOAA's Administrator will utilize available data and may collaborate with federal and non-federal partners to establish and maintain this resource. The bill also allows for the inclusion of disasters not meeting the billion-dollar threshold if deemed appropriate, and requires the maintenance of the previously existing NCEI disaster database for archiving and research purposes. A "billion-dollar disaster" is defined as a storm or severe weather event resulting in $1,000,000,000 or more in combined direct and market costs, as determined by NCEI.