The damage caused by natural disasters from January through June has made 2011 the most costly year ever recorded for such catastrophes — and the year's only half over. How do the costs break down? Here, the record losses, by the numbers:
$265 billion
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$220 billion
Total cost of damages caused by natural disasters in all of 2005, which is the year that held the previous cost record, says Tim Wall at Discovery News
$130 billion
Total cost of damages in 2010, less than half of what has accrued in the first half of 2011
5
Factor by which the damages for the first half of 2011 are greater than the annual average for this decade
335
The number of disasters tallied so far this year
$210 billion
Total damages caused by the Japan earthquake alone, making it the costliest natural disaster on record
$125 billion
Total damages caused by Hurricane Katrina, the biggest disaster of previous record-holder 2005, and the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history, says Jason Samenow at The Washington Post
$20 billion
Total damages caused by February's earthquake in New Zealand
$14.5 billion
Total damages caused by the severe storms and tornadoes in the U.S. in April and May
$7.3 billion
Total damages caused by the Australian floods at the beginning of this year
19,380
Number of people who have died as a result of natural disasters so far in 2011
15,500
Number of those deaths that were caused by the Japan earthquake and tsunami
230,300
Number of people who died as a result of natural disasters in 2010
225,000
Number of those deaths that were caused by the Haitian earthquake, the biggest disaster of that year
Sources: Bloomberg, Discovery News, Munich Re, Washington Post
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