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2022 Year In Review: Billion-Dollar Disasters
December 27, 2022 at 12:45 PM EST
By WeatherBug's Matt Mehallow, Alex Friedman, Chad Merrill & Christian Sayles
Mother Nature made no bargain with the U.S. this year. Damage estimates from severe weather exceed $29 billion. From epic western drought and wildfires to destructive storms, 2022 was a memorable and costly year for weather.
March
Southern Tornado Outbreak: March 30
Thunderstorm season kicked off with a devastating tornado outbreak across the South in late March. The stage was set for severe thunderstorms to spring up across the Lower Mississippi Valley as a strong cold front sliced through warm, unstable air. The front sparked 83 confirmed tornadoes between Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida. The strongest tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale was an EF-3 that ripped through Washington County, Fla., with winds of 150 mph reported. There were two additional EF-3 tornadoes, with one reported in Washington County, Ark., that ransacked an elementary school, multiple homes and the Springdale Municipal Airport.
As a result of the devastating outback, three deaths and 17 injuries were reported in the wake of the carnage. The storms produced an estimated $1.3 billion in damage to homes, buildings, businesses and other infrastructure.
April
Southeastern Tornado Outbreak: April 4-6
Almost hot on the heels with the late March outbreak, another one ravaged the South in early April. The atmosphere was once again primed and energized for severe thunderstorms thanks to an upper-level disturbance, strong cold front and ample available moisture.
Beginning on April 4 and concluding on April 6, 100 tornadoes were reported in these few days. From Georgia and South Carolina to Texas and Louisiana, tornadic storms ripped through the Deep South and Southeast. Three EF-3 tornadoes and one EF-4 tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale were reported from the bunch. Pembroke, Ga., sustained damages from a monstrous EF-4 tornado on April 5 which garnered winds up to 185 mph. This led to the destruction of several neighborhoods including businesses, vehicles and other forms of property.
One person is said to have perished during the deadly outbreak, with several more people injured. A reported $1.4 billion in damages was reported from this devastating outbreak.
More Violent Weather Rips Through The South: April 11-13
An active pattern in early April set the stage for yet another outbreak of deadly weather across the southern U.S. This time, Arkansas was found deadlocked in the center of severe weather, though surrounding states such as Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee were also unfortunately affected by this batch of robust thunderstorms.
Starting on April 11 and concluding on April 13, hundreds of damaging wind reports, dozens of tornado and hail reports stemmed from this event as an upper-level low spun over the Great Plains and Midwest. High winds, tornadoes and damaging hail led to the destruction of homes, businesses, farms, outbuildings and other infrastructure in just these few days.
More than 70 tornadoes hit the ground running, with the strongest having a rating of EF-3 north of Florence, Texas, in Bell County. This tornado had peak winds of 165 mph and injured more than 20 people, including an expectant mother who lost her child due to injuries sustained. Damages from this event racked the bill to $2.2 billion over the course of just 3 days.
May
Severe Storms Grip Southern, Central U.S.: May 1-3
A strong upper-level storm crossed the Rockies into the central and southern Plains. Ahead of the cold front, high wind shear allowed for spin up of supercell thunderstorms. Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas endured hail larger than golf balls along with very powerful winds. The storms produced several tornadoes, with maximum wind gusts of up to 85 mph. The most intense damage occurred across the Texas/Oklahoma panhandle, where properties endured blown out windows and significant roof damage. These strong, isolated thunderstorms quickly traveled into central Appalachia, where winds of between 60 to 100 mph demolished buildings and knocked down trees in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The estimated cost of damages is 1.1 billion U.S. dollars.
Hail Storms Batter North-Central U.S.: May 9
Severe thunderstorms lead to catastrophic damage in the Upper Midwest, specifically Minnesota and western Wisconsin. The isolated, yet very strong line of thunderstorms began in South Dakota and moved towards Wisconsin. Eight tornadoes were reported in the area on May 9th, with maximum wind gusts ranging from 80 to 85 mph. However, the real story was tennis to baseball sized hail that raked western Minnesota. Power outages were widespread, as the gusty winds and hail knocked down trees and severely damaged properties and infrastructure. The estimated cost of damages is set at $1.9 billion U.S.
Violent Storms March Across Northern Plains, Upper Midwest: May 11-12
A line of severe thunderstorms moved through the northern Plains into the Upper Midwest on May 11th and 12th. Almost two dozen tornadoes were reported around the St. Cloud-Minneapolis metropolitan area into Iowa, while hail reports extended from Kansas to Michigan. Structural damage in South Dakota and Iowa indicates the wind gusts likely exceeded 80 mph. A maximum wind gust of 94 mph was reported in Madison, Minn. The South Dakota Black Hills were pounded by hen egg sized hail. Unfortunately, there was one death associated with this weather event. There was widespread structural infrastructure and property damage and the estimated cost associated with this natural disaster is $2.6 billion.
More Hail Storms Gut North-Central Plains: May 19
Just one week after a billion-dollar disaster ransacked the northern Plains, a strong line of thunderstorms produced large damaging hail in the same spots. As a warm front moved through southern Minnesota, severe weather formed, and baseball sized hail rained upon the area. The Minneapolis skyline was obscured from the falling hail and many children had to seek immediate shelter as they left school. Hail reached at least walnut to hen egg sized hail in diameter and 3 inches of rain drenched in parts of Wisconsin. An EF-0 tornado touched down in Monroe County, Wis., and brought wind gusts of up to 85 mph. Luckily, nobody died in this outbreak. Property and infrastructure damage in Minnesota and Wisconsin, reached almost $2 billion.
June
Plains Cold Front Produces Widespread Destructive Storms: June 6-7
A dangerous severe weather outbreak unfolded June 6-7 from the Front Range to the central Plains thanks to a cold front that slipped south of the northern Rockies. Two dozen tornadoes, damaging wind and hail slammed Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa and Ohio. Eva, Okla., clocked a thunderstorm gust of 88 mph on June 7 while Guymon, Texas, saw an 81-mph gust. Softball sized hail gutted Gray and Burdett, Kan., and Revenna, Neb. The severe weather raked in $1.8 billion in damages.
Midwest Derecho Prompts Major Destruction: June 13
They are most common from May to August and mid-June proved to be the target date for this summer’s derecho. The large-scale wind event developed on the northern flank of a heat ridge in southern Wisconsin on June 13 and swept into Ohio. Wind gusts 50 to 75 mph caused extensive damage. The highest record gust was Fort Wayne, Ind., Airport at 98 mph, which was the highest gust recorded at this airport. More than 500,000 people were left in the dark following the derecho. Damage estimates are $2.9 billion.
July
Violent Storms Slam North-Central and Eastern U.S.: July 22-24
The biggest severe weather outbreak of the summer in the East hit at the end of the month. The danger began in the Upper Midwest before pushing into the interior Mid-Atlantic and southern New England. Tennis ball sized hail gutted Aroostook County, Maine, making it the state's largest hail since August 2015. Stoddard, Wis., measured a storm gust of 70 mph while Dubuque County Airport in Illinois was clocked with a 67-mph gust. Similar gusts downed trees and power lines from West Mifflin, Pa., to Hagerstown, Md. Nineteen tornadoes touched down in this outbreak and damage estimates reached $1.3 billion.
Stationary Front Produces Record Midwest Flooding: July 26-28
A lumbering front teaming up with plenty of mid-summer moisture unleashed major flooding in the Midwest in late July. At least 37 people died in Kentucky and two died near St. Louis. The North Fork of the Kentucky River in Jackson reached a new record high flood stage of 43.47 feet. Roads were washed out, homes destroyed and more than 600 people had to be rescued by boat and aircraft. Missouri and southern Illinois tallied a foot to 14 inches of rain, with Buckhorn Lake, Ky., measuring 11.76 inches in four days, a record for that location. St. Louis also shattered a record for the most precipitation to fall in 24 hours, with 8.64 inches besting the former record of 6.85 inches which occurred with the remnants of the Galveston 1915 hurricane. The three-day flooding event produced $1.2 billion in damages.
September
Hurricane Fiona Slams Atlantic Canada: September 17-18
Fiona developed from a tropical wave that emerged from West Africa, then strengthened into a tropical storm as it approached the Leeward Islands on September 15. After producing flooding in the Lesser Antilles, extremely heavy rainfall up to nearly 32 inches led to widespread flash flooding and mudslides from central and southern Puerto Rico into the Dominican Republic. Fiona's winds damaged crops, downed trees and knocked out power in Puerto Rico. Fiona then intensified as it pushed through the Turks and Caicos, eventually becoming a Category 4 hurricane.
After transitioning to a post-tropical cyclone, Fiona smashed into eastern Nova Scotia early on September 24 as Canada's all-time strongest storm as measured by pressure. Fiona hit with heavy rain, fierce wind, and a destructive storm surge, especially along the coasts of eastern Nova Scotia and western Newfoundland. The Insurance Bureau of Canada estimated Fiona was Atlantic Canada's costliest weather event, with an estimated $660 million in insured damage.
Hurricane Ian Ravages Florida: September 28-30
After plowing a path of destruction through the Caribbean, bringing particularly heavy rainfall and dangerous surf to Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and western Cuba, Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa, Fla., as a dangerous, high-end Category 4 storm on September 28, with maximum sustained winds near 150 mph. This tied the record for the fifth-strongest hurricane on record to strike the United States. It was the strongest hurricane to hit Florida since Michael in 2018. It was also the first Category 4 hurricane to impact southwest Florida since Charley in 2004. Ian thrashed parts of Florida’s western coast, bringing intense winds, heavy rainfall, and catastrophic storm surge.
A storm surge with inundation of an unprecedented 12 to 18 feet above ground level was reported along the southwestern Florida coast, and the city of Fort Myers was hit particularly hard with a record high 7.26-foot surge. The highest wind gust was 140 mph in Cape Coral, Florida, on September 28. The storm knocked out power to more than four million customers in Florida, and an additional 1.1 million homes and businesses lost power when the storm plowed through the Carolinas.
Record Heat Bakes West: September
In early September 2022, a high-pressure ridge set up over North America and dominated the weather pattern throughout the month. The long-lasting heat dome that settled over the U.S. West, brought scorching temperatures that set record highs. All-time high temperatures ranging into the mid-110s Fahrenheit were recorded in the California cities of Santa Rosa, Napa, Livermore, Redwood City, San Jose, and King City. Both Merced and Sacramento reached 116°F on September 7, their highest temperatures since record-keeping began in 1899 and 1877, respectively.
This extreme heat fueled wildfires and stressed the power grid before much welcomed relief moved into the region thanks to eastern Pacific tropical storm Kay on September 9th, which broke the warm spell. Tropical Storm Kay delivered cooler temperatures along with drenching rains and the flash flooding to Southern California, the Baja Peninsula, and the Desert Southwest.
Year-Round
Wildfires Sweep Across Western U.S.
The combination of severe drought conditions and periods of extreme heat provided conditions favorable for a damaging western wildfire season across much of the West and Alaska. More than 7.4 million acres have burned so far nationally during the 2022 wildfire season, which is just slightly above the 10-year average of 7.2-million acres.
The 2022 Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire was the largest and most destructive wildfire in the history of New Mexico. The fire burned 341,471 acres between early April and late June in the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains. This was the largest wildfire of the 2022 New Mexico wildfire season and the largest wildfire of 2022 in the contiguous United States. The fire destroyed at least 903 structures, including several hundred homes, and damaged 85 more, while threatening more than 12,000 other structures in the region.
The Mosquito Fire was another large wildfire that burned near the community of Foresthill in the Tahoe and Eldorado National Forests in California's Placer and El Dorado counties. The fire began on September 6, 2022, near Mosquito Ridge Road located on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. The Mosquito Fire burned 76,788 acres, surpassing the earlier McKinney Fire in Siskiyou County to become the largest fire of 2022 in California. The fire destroyed 78 structures, mostly in the communities of Michigan Bluff and Foresthill in Placer County, and Volcanoville in El Dorado County.
Other large wildfires included the Double Creek Fire (Oregon), the Moose Fire (Idaho), the Trail Creek Fire (Montana) and the Lime Complex Fire (Alaska).
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Story Image: U.S. 2022 Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters Map. (Courtesy of NOAA)
March
Southern Tornado Outbreak: March 30
Thunderstorm season kicked off with a devastating tornado outbreak across the South in late March. The stage was set for severe thunderstorms to spring up across the Lower Mississippi Valley as a strong cold front sliced through warm, unstable air. The front sparked 83 confirmed tornadoes between Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida. The strongest tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale was an EF-3 that ripped through Washington County, Fla., with winds of 150 mph reported. There were two additional EF-3 tornadoes, with one reported in Washington County, Ark., that ransacked an elementary school, multiple homes and the Springdale Municipal Airport.
As a result of the devastating outback, three deaths and 17 injuries were reported in the wake of the carnage. The storms produced an estimated $1.3 billion in damage to homes, buildings, businesses and other infrastructure.
April
Southeastern Tornado Outbreak: April 4-6
Almost hot on the heels with the late March outbreak, another one ravaged the South in early April. The atmosphere was once again primed and energized for severe thunderstorms thanks to an upper-level disturbance, strong cold front and ample available moisture.
Beginning on April 4 and concluding on April 6, 100 tornadoes were reported in these few days. From Georgia and South Carolina to Texas and Louisiana, tornadic storms ripped through the Deep South and Southeast. Three EF-3 tornadoes and one EF-4 tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale were reported from the bunch. Pembroke, Ga., sustained damages from a monstrous EF-4 tornado on April 5 which garnered winds up to 185 mph. This led to the destruction of several neighborhoods including businesses, vehicles and other forms of property.
One person is said to have perished during the deadly outbreak, with several more people injured. A reported $1.4 billion in damages was reported from this devastating outbreak.
More Violent Weather Rips Through The South: April 11-13
An active pattern in early April set the stage for yet another outbreak of deadly weather across the southern U.S. This time, Arkansas was found deadlocked in the center of severe weather, though surrounding states such as Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee were also unfortunately affected by this batch of robust thunderstorms.
Starting on April 11 and concluding on April 13, hundreds of damaging wind reports, dozens of tornado and hail reports stemmed from this event as an upper-level low spun over the Great Plains and Midwest. High winds, tornadoes and damaging hail led to the destruction of homes, businesses, farms, outbuildings and other infrastructure in just these few days.
More than 70 tornadoes hit the ground running, with the strongest having a rating of EF-3 north of Florence, Texas, in Bell County. This tornado had peak winds of 165 mph and injured more than 20 people, including an expectant mother who lost her child due to injuries sustained. Damages from this event racked the bill to $2.2 billion over the course of just 3 days.
May
Severe Storms Grip Southern, Central U.S.: May 1-3
A strong upper-level storm crossed the Rockies into the central and southern Plains. Ahead of the cold front, high wind shear allowed for spin up of supercell thunderstorms. Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas endured hail larger than golf balls along with very powerful winds. The storms produced several tornadoes, with maximum wind gusts of up to 85 mph. The most intense damage occurred across the Texas/Oklahoma panhandle, where properties endured blown out windows and significant roof damage. These strong, isolated thunderstorms quickly traveled into central Appalachia, where winds of between 60 to 100 mph demolished buildings and knocked down trees in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The estimated cost of damages is 1.1 billion U.S. dollars.
Hail Storms Batter North-Central U.S.: May 9
Severe thunderstorms lead to catastrophic damage in the Upper Midwest, specifically Minnesota and western Wisconsin. The isolated, yet very strong line of thunderstorms began in South Dakota and moved towards Wisconsin. Eight tornadoes were reported in the area on May 9th, with maximum wind gusts ranging from 80 to 85 mph. However, the real story was tennis to baseball sized hail that raked western Minnesota. Power outages were widespread, as the gusty winds and hail knocked down trees and severely damaged properties and infrastructure. The estimated cost of damages is set at $1.9 billion U.S.
Violent Storms March Across Northern Plains, Upper Midwest: May 11-12
A line of severe thunderstorms moved through the northern Plains into the Upper Midwest on May 11th and 12th. Almost two dozen tornadoes were reported around the St. Cloud-Minneapolis metropolitan area into Iowa, while hail reports extended from Kansas to Michigan. Structural damage in South Dakota and Iowa indicates the wind gusts likely exceeded 80 mph. A maximum wind gust of 94 mph was reported in Madison, Minn. The South Dakota Black Hills were pounded by hen egg sized hail. Unfortunately, there was one death associated with this weather event. There was widespread structural infrastructure and property damage and the estimated cost associated with this natural disaster is $2.6 billion.
More Hail Storms Gut North-Central Plains: May 19
Just one week after a billion-dollar disaster ransacked the northern Plains, a strong line of thunderstorms produced large damaging hail in the same spots. As a warm front moved through southern Minnesota, severe weather formed, and baseball sized hail rained upon the area. The Minneapolis skyline was obscured from the falling hail and many children had to seek immediate shelter as they left school. Hail reached at least walnut to hen egg sized hail in diameter and 3 inches of rain drenched in parts of Wisconsin. An EF-0 tornado touched down in Monroe County, Wis., and brought wind gusts of up to 85 mph. Luckily, nobody died in this outbreak. Property and infrastructure damage in Minnesota and Wisconsin, reached almost $2 billion.
June
Plains Cold Front Produces Widespread Destructive Storms: June 6-7
A dangerous severe weather outbreak unfolded June 6-7 from the Front Range to the central Plains thanks to a cold front that slipped south of the northern Rockies. Two dozen tornadoes, damaging wind and hail slammed Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa and Ohio. Eva, Okla., clocked a thunderstorm gust of 88 mph on June 7 while Guymon, Texas, saw an 81-mph gust. Softball sized hail gutted Gray and Burdett, Kan., and Revenna, Neb. The severe weather raked in $1.8 billion in damages.
Midwest Derecho Prompts Major Destruction: June 13
They are most common from May to August and mid-June proved to be the target date for this summer’s derecho. The large-scale wind event developed on the northern flank of a heat ridge in southern Wisconsin on June 13 and swept into Ohio. Wind gusts 50 to 75 mph caused extensive damage. The highest record gust was Fort Wayne, Ind., Airport at 98 mph, which was the highest gust recorded at this airport. More than 500,000 people were left in the dark following the derecho. Damage estimates are $2.9 billion.
July
Violent Storms Slam North-Central and Eastern U.S.: July 22-24
The biggest severe weather outbreak of the summer in the East hit at the end of the month. The danger began in the Upper Midwest before pushing into the interior Mid-Atlantic and southern New England. Tennis ball sized hail gutted Aroostook County, Maine, making it the state's largest hail since August 2015. Stoddard, Wis., measured a storm gust of 70 mph while Dubuque County Airport in Illinois was clocked with a 67-mph gust. Similar gusts downed trees and power lines from West Mifflin, Pa., to Hagerstown, Md. Nineteen tornadoes touched down in this outbreak and damage estimates reached $1.3 billion.
Stationary Front Produces Record Midwest Flooding: July 26-28
A lumbering front teaming up with plenty of mid-summer moisture unleashed major flooding in the Midwest in late July. At least 37 people died in Kentucky and two died near St. Louis. The North Fork of the Kentucky River in Jackson reached a new record high flood stage of 43.47 feet. Roads were washed out, homes destroyed and more than 600 people had to be rescued by boat and aircraft. Missouri and southern Illinois tallied a foot to 14 inches of rain, with Buckhorn Lake, Ky., measuring 11.76 inches in four days, a record for that location. St. Louis also shattered a record for the most precipitation to fall in 24 hours, with 8.64 inches besting the former record of 6.85 inches which occurred with the remnants of the Galveston 1915 hurricane. The three-day flooding event produced $1.2 billion in damages.
September
Hurricane Fiona Slams Atlantic Canada: September 17-18
Fiona developed from a tropical wave that emerged from West Africa, then strengthened into a tropical storm as it approached the Leeward Islands on September 15. After producing flooding in the Lesser Antilles, extremely heavy rainfall up to nearly 32 inches led to widespread flash flooding and mudslides from central and southern Puerto Rico into the Dominican Republic. Fiona's winds damaged crops, downed trees and knocked out power in Puerto Rico. Fiona then intensified as it pushed through the Turks and Caicos, eventually becoming a Category 4 hurricane.
After transitioning to a post-tropical cyclone, Fiona smashed into eastern Nova Scotia early on September 24 as Canada's all-time strongest storm as measured by pressure. Fiona hit with heavy rain, fierce wind, and a destructive storm surge, especially along the coasts of eastern Nova Scotia and western Newfoundland. The Insurance Bureau of Canada estimated Fiona was Atlantic Canada's costliest weather event, with an estimated $660 million in insured damage.
Hurricane Ian Ravages Florida: September 28-30
After plowing a path of destruction through the Caribbean, bringing particularly heavy rainfall and dangerous surf to Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, and western Cuba, Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa, Fla., as a dangerous, high-end Category 4 storm on September 28, with maximum sustained winds near 150 mph. This tied the record for the fifth-strongest hurricane on record to strike the United States. It was the strongest hurricane to hit Florida since Michael in 2018. It was also the first Category 4 hurricane to impact southwest Florida since Charley in 2004. Ian thrashed parts of Florida’s western coast, bringing intense winds, heavy rainfall, and catastrophic storm surge.
A storm surge with inundation of an unprecedented 12 to 18 feet above ground level was reported along the southwestern Florida coast, and the city of Fort Myers was hit particularly hard with a record high 7.26-foot surge. The highest wind gust was 140 mph in Cape Coral, Florida, on September 28. The storm knocked out power to more than four million customers in Florida, and an additional 1.1 million homes and businesses lost power when the storm plowed through the Carolinas.
Record Heat Bakes West: September
In early September 2022, a high-pressure ridge set up over North America and dominated the weather pattern throughout the month. The long-lasting heat dome that settled over the U.S. West, brought scorching temperatures that set record highs. All-time high temperatures ranging into the mid-110s Fahrenheit were recorded in the California cities of Santa Rosa, Napa, Livermore, Redwood City, San Jose, and King City. Both Merced and Sacramento reached 116°F on September 7, their highest temperatures since record-keeping began in 1899 and 1877, respectively.
This extreme heat fueled wildfires and stressed the power grid before much welcomed relief moved into the region thanks to eastern Pacific tropical storm Kay on September 9th, which broke the warm spell. Tropical Storm Kay delivered cooler temperatures along with drenching rains and the flash flooding to Southern California, the Baja Peninsula, and the Desert Southwest.
Year-Round
Wildfires Sweep Across Western U.S.
The combination of severe drought conditions and periods of extreme heat provided conditions favorable for a damaging western wildfire season across much of the West and Alaska. More than 7.4 million acres have burned so far nationally during the 2022 wildfire season, which is just slightly above the 10-year average of 7.2-million acres.
The 2022 Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire was the largest and most destructive wildfire in the history of New Mexico. The fire burned 341,471 acres between early April and late June in the southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains. This was the largest wildfire of the 2022 New Mexico wildfire season and the largest wildfire of 2022 in the contiguous United States. The fire destroyed at least 903 structures, including several hundred homes, and damaged 85 more, while threatening more than 12,000 other structures in the region.
The Mosquito Fire was another large wildfire that burned near the community of Foresthill in the Tahoe and Eldorado National Forests in California's Placer and El Dorado counties. The fire began on September 6, 2022, near Mosquito Ridge Road located on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. The Mosquito Fire burned 76,788 acres, surpassing the earlier McKinney Fire in Siskiyou County to become the largest fire of 2022 in California. The fire destroyed 78 structures, mostly in the communities of Michigan Bluff and Foresthill in Placer County, and Volcanoville in El Dorado County.
Other large wildfires included the Double Creek Fire (Oregon), the Moose Fire (Idaho), the Trail Creek Fire (Montana) and the Lime Complex Fire (Alaska).
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Story Image: U.S. 2022 Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters Map. (Courtesy of NOAA)