Climate and beyond: all the natural disasters of 2023 including droughts, floods, earthquakes and economic losses

ROMA – There were 399 disasters linked to natural hazards which caused 86,473 victims and affected 93.1 million people for a total of 202.7 billion dollars. These are the 2023 numbers on natural disasters such as earthquakes, droughts and floods. The earthquake in Turkey and Syria was the most catastrophic event of the year in terms of mortality and economic damage, with 56,683 confirmed deaths and losses worth $42.9 billion. It affected around 18 million people in both countries, making it second only to the drought recorded in Indonesia which affected 18.8 million people from June to September 2023. The data were analyzed and disseminated byEmergency Events Database (EM-DATE). It is almost superfluous to underline that these were vulnerable victims and that the disasters mainly affected areas of extreme poverty.

Comparison with past years. The number of deaths, 86,473, exceeds the average of 64,148 over the last twenty years and the final blow was the earthquake in Syria and Turkey, responsible for two thirds of the total deaths calculated by EM-DAT. The total number of people affected by disasters, 93.1 million, is lower than the annual average of 175.5 million in 2022. The difference is mainly due to the relatively low occurrence of new drought waves. Some natural events are still ongoing, so drought data may not be complete and current statistics may still be provisional. The analysis released in recent days highlights seasonal droughts starting from 2023, but excludes multi-year droughts still ongoing, such as the severe and prolonged drought in the Horn of Africa.

The economy. In terms of economic losses the reported figure of $202.7 billion is slightly higher than the 2022 annual average of $196.3 billion. But even this figure is probably underestimated because many economic losses, especially in Africa, are not documented.

Earthquakes. In Turkey, a sequence of earthquakes that occurred on 6 February 2023 caused 50,783 victims and affected approximately 9.2 million people. In the Syrian Arab Republic the data speak of 5,900 deaths and 8.8 million people affected. The total economic damage is at least $34 billion for Turkey and $8.9 billion for Syria. On September 8, another major earthquake destroyed the High Atlas mountain region, southwest of Marrakech, Morocco, causing 2,946 victims and economic losses of $7 billion. In western Afghanistan, the earthquake on 7 October in the province of Herat claimed 2,445 victims.

The storms. As for hurricanes, the one called Daniel hit Libya in September, triggering floods that killed 12,352 people – including 8,000 missing – and caused economic losses of 6.2 billion dollars. This is the second deadliest disaster of 2023, after the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria. Earlier this year, Cyclone Freddy passed through Madagascar, Mozambique and Malawi. The greatest impact occurred in Malawi, where there were 1,209 victims. Typhoon Doksuri hit the Philippines and then China at the end of July, with economic losses estimated at around $25 billion, making it the second costliest disaster of 2023. India has also seen its share of disasters natural thanks to Cyclone Michaung in early December, with 4.4 million people affected. Two storms occurred in the Americas that had significant economic impacts. At the beginning of March the United States was hit by a storm that generated tornadoes, strong winds and floods, resulting in losses of 6 billion dollars and a total of 13 deaths. Finally, last October, tropical storm Otis, in Mexico, affected one million people, caused 104 victims and caused 12 billion dollars in damage: it was the costliest storm ever recorded in Mexico.

The floods. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, serious floods and landslides occurred in May due to torrential rains in the province of South Kivu. The death toll, which remains uncertain, is currently estimated at around 2,970, but there are still many missing. In north-east Nigeria, the October floods caused 275 victims. In December, Somalia was hit by torrential rains that affected around 2.5 million people, while a flood in Tanzania affected 2.9 million residents. In January the Philippines was destroyed by floods and landslides that caused 52 deaths and affected 2.1 million people. A series of monsoon floods also occurred in Pakistan and India from April to July, with the latter recording at least 1,529 fatalities. Yemen experienced a prolonged and intense rainy season between March and September, with 248 confirmed deaths. In Guatemala, severe storms from May onwards caused significant flooding and landslides, affecting more than 4.4 million people and causing 78 deaths. In Europe, the mid-May floods in the Emilia-Romagna region caused 15 victims and were among the costliest events of 2023, with economic damage estimated at around $9.8 billion.

The drought. Regarding drought-related disasters, Indonesia’s dry season – from May to October – had a very serious impact on the lives of approximately 18.8 million citizens. In the United States of America, the South and Midwest experienced significant drought along with severe heat waves, resulting in approximately $14.5 billion in damages. Finally, in August, the Lahaina Fire on the island of Maui in Hawaii was identified as one of the 10 costliest disasters of 2023, with economic losses amounting to $5.5 billion.