ISTANBUL

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced Thursday it will discontinue its widely-referenced Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database following the 2024 calendar year amid significant budget reductions.

"In alignment with evolving priorities, statutory mandates, and staffing changes, NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information will no longer be updating the Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters product," the agency said in a statement.

NOAA said the product will be “retired” with no updates beyond calendar year 2024.

The database, maintained since 1980, has documented the financial effects of extreme weather events, including hurricanes, wildfires, droughts and hailstorms that inflicted damages exceeding $1 billion.

​​​​​​​The decision follows significant workforce reductions and budget cuts, particularly under the Donald Trump administration, which proposed a more than 25% reduction in NOAA’s $6 billion budget for 2026, along with terminating numerous climate-focused research and grant programs.

A statement said the cuts aim to end initiatives “not aligned with Administration policy” and cancel satellite instruments “designed primarily for unnecessary climate measurements rather than weather observations.”