Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025
- Sponsor
- Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]
- Committees
- Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Sep 11, 2025
Bottom line
The bill aims to restore and enhance public access to comprehensive, up-to-date, and historical data on costly natural disasters in the U.S. to inform research and policy.
What it actually does
This bill, the "Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025," mandates the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish and maintain a publicly accessible database and webpage detailing "billion-dollar disasters" in the United States. It requires biannual updates, specific data points like cost, type, and location, and visual features similar to a previously discontinued NOAA service. The bill also ensures the archiving and maintenance of the historical NCEI disaster database.
Proponents argue
Supporters argue that this bill is crucial for transparency and informed decision-making, especially given the increasing frequency and severity of climate-related disasters. They contend that restoring and improving the previously available NCEI data and visual tools will empower researchers, policymakers, and the public to better understand disaster trends, assess risks, and develop more effective preparedness and mitigation strategies.
Opponents contend
Critics might argue that while the goal is laudable, the bill could impose an unfunded mandate on NOAA, potentially diverting resources from other critical agency functions without specific appropriations. Some might also question the exact scope or definition of "billion-dollar disaster" if they believe it either too broad or too narrow, or if the replication of specific historical features is overly prescriptive.
The bill is short and clearly written, making it highly accessible for any reader to understand its provisions within minutes.
Section 2(a)
Establishment of Public Database and Webpage
This provision mandates the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator to create and maintain a publicly accessible database and webpage. This platform will contain information on all "billion-dollar disasters" occurring annually in the United States, making critical disaster data readily available to the public.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that this provision enhances transparency and provides crucial data for understanding disaster trends, supporting better policy and preparedness efforts across the nation.
Critics contend
No direct opposition is typically raised against the principle of data collection itself, but some might question the administrative cost or scope if it were broader than specified.
Tradeoffs
The primary tradeoff involves balancing the desire for comprehensive, publicly accessible data with the administrative burden and financial resources required for its establishment and ongoing maintenance by NOAA.
Section 2(c)
Database Content Requirements and Visual Features
This section details the specific information to be included for each disaster: estimated cost, type, location, dates, and other appropriate information. Crucially, it mandates visual graphs and mapping features similar to those previously provided by the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) from 1980-2024, which were discontinued on May 9, 2025.
Section 2(g)
Definition of "Billion-Dollar Disaster"
This provision defines "billion-dollar disaster" as a storm or severe weather event resulting in $1,000,000,000 or more in combined direct and market costs, as determined by the National Centers for Environmental Information. This provides a clear, consistent threshold for inclusion of events in the new database.
This subsection mandates the Administrator to maintain and update information contained in the previously existing disaster database specified under subsection (c)(2) on the webpage for the National Centers for Environmental Information for archiving and research purposes.
Section 2(f)
Why it matters:This is likely standard legislative practice to ensure continuity and preservation of valuable historical data, preventing its loss or inaccessibility, rather than an attempt to obscure its impact.
Case for: Supporters argue that this provision is critical for preserving decades of valuable historical data, enabling long-term trend analysis and research that would otherwise be lost or become inaccessible. It ensures continuity of context for understanding future disaster impacts.
Case against: Critics might point out that maintaining an older, archived database in addition to building a new one could require additional, ongoing resources and administrative effort for NOAA, potentially increasing the overall cost and complexity of the bill's mandates.
Estimated impact: This provision ensures the preservation of a critical historical dataset spanning from 1980 through 2024, which is invaluable for climate science, economic impact studies, and disaster preparedness research.