Weather's Wrath: Why Deaths Are Dropping Despite More Storms

People often think extreme weather is getting deadlier. News stories often say climate change is making storms, floods, and heat waves worse. But data shows something different. Deaths from extreme weather have dropped a lot over the past 100 years. This is true even though the world's population has grown and more people live in areas at risk.

Study Reveals Significant Decline in Weather-Related Deaths

A new study looked at global weather-related deaths from 1980 to 2016. It found that deaths from extreme weather have fallen by more than six times. This is because of better technology, infrastructure, and emergency response systems.

• Wealthier countries have lower death rates.
• Poorer countries have also made big improvements.

Economic Losses from Extreme Weather

The study also found that economic losses from extreme weather are not as bad as they seem. More wealth means more valuable things are in harm's way. But when you look at losses as a percentage of wealth, they are actually going down.

Implications for Policy

This is good news. It shows that people are getting better at dealing with extreme weather. But it also means that policies focusing only on reducing emissions may not be the best way to save lives. Making societies wealthier and more resilient is more important.