Dust Storm in the United States

How dangerous are Dust Storm events in the U.S.?

Per event, this hazard is far more dangerous than its frequency suggests. It ranks #30 by how often it is recorded among the 44 hazard types with at least 100 events, but #13 by fatalities per event, at 45.6 deaths per 1,000 recorded events. Recorded damage averages $6.5K per event. A reader scanning total counts would underestimate the risk of encountering one.

The NOAA file shows a substantial human toll without entering PlainHazard's highest band: 56 fatalities and 321 injuries across 1,228 events. The high band covers hazard types with 20-99 cumulative fatalities in this 2015-2025 record. It compares catalog totals only; exposure and consequences vary widely from one event and location to another.

Geographic exposure skews toward a small cluster of frequently-hit states. The three states absorbing the largest share of events are Arizona (443 events, 6 fatalities), Kansas (162 events, 9 fatalities), New Mexico (120 events, 6 fatalities), a mix of underlying hazard climatology and how many people live in the exposed corridor. At the other end, states such as Missouri, Wisconsin, Montana report far fewer events, a meaningfully lower-frequency pattern there, though local vigilance still matters.

Frequency and financial loss occupy a similar place in the NOAA catalog for this hazard. Its #30 event-count rank sits within four positions of its #33 combined-damage rank; the listed losses account for <0.1% of the catalog total. Human impact is a separate comparison: the hazard ranks #25 for fatalities and contributes 0.5% of recorded deaths.

Annual totals swing noticeably from year to year. The peak year on record was 2025, logging 320 events and $2.3M in property damage in a single calendar year. The most recent year in the dataset is 2025 with 320 events recorded. Across the full 11-year window, annual event counts reflect seasonal climate cycles and, for some years, longer climate-driven shifts in frequency.

NOAA entries are reports filed by local National Weather Service offices. Counts therefore reflect both observed weather and reporting practice; they do not measure unreported events, household exposure, or the probability of a future event at one address.