NOAA would have to run a public website listing every U.S. weather disaster that costs $1 billion or more. The site must include maps, charts, and at least two updates per year. The older disaster database going back to 1980 stays online too.
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Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025 is a House bill in committee. The latest recorded action: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Latest action on H.R. 5855: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Who this affects: This bill mainly affects NOAA, which would take on a new legal obligation to maintain the database and website. It also matters to anyone who uses disaster cost data — researchers, local governments planning for emergencies, insurance companies, businesses deciding where to build, and everyday people trying to understand disaster risks in their area.
Why this matters: There is currently no law guaranteeing that the government tracks and shares data on the most expensive U.S. weather disasters. NCEI ran a well-known version of this database from 1980 to 2024, but without a legal requirement, there is no guarantee it continues. This bill would lock in public access to that information going forward and protect the historical data that already exists.
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