Until this year, the2018 Camp Firestood as not only the deadliest wildfire in California history but also the nation's costliest: $13 billion in economic losses, adjusted for inflation. A new reportsays each of the two major wildfires thatdevastated parts of Los Angeles Countyin January cost more than twice as much, adding up to $65 billion in losses. The Palisades ($37 billion) and Eaton ($28 billion) fires also became the most expensive wildfire events ever for the reinsurance industry, causing $40 billion total in covered damage, according to the report by Gallagher Re, a global firm that provides insurance to insurers. "(We're) talking about two of the most expensive fires ever recorded globally,'' said Steve Bowen, chief science officer for Gallagher Re, underscoring the rarity of such twin calamities occurring well into California's traditional rainy period. "We'refacing a new realityregarding the seasonality of wildfires,'' he said. The concurrent blazes killed 30 people and destroyed more than 16,200 buildings – compared with 85 and 18,800 for the Camp inferno, which wiped out the Northern California town of Paradise. The increased price tag reflects the LA blazes' location in one of the nation'smost expensive housing markets. It also highlights the unique spot the United States held in the ranking of costly natural disasters in the first six months of 2025. In a relatively tame first half of the year for weather-related catastrophes across the planet, the United States racked up $110 billion in losses, representing 73% of the world's total and 92% of the covered insurance damages, Gallagher Re said. Every other region was below average. The United States had 15 billion-dollar and eight multibillion-dollar weather-related events in the first half of 2025, while the rest of the world had six and three, respectively. In addition to the destructive wildfires, chief among them the ones in Southern California, Americans had to contend with a high number of severe convective storms – essentially thunderstorms – that produced tornadoes, high winds and hail, leading to about $42 billion in economic losses. At least 118 tornado touchdowns were recorded during aMarch 13-16 outbreakacross 15 states, most of them in the Midwest and parts of the South and East, killing at least 43 people. Federal officials said the 300 verified tornadoes in March smashed the previous record. Bowen noted the emergence of "weather whiplash,'' when a region experiences two ends of the climate spectrum – for example, from drenching rain that fosters vegetation growth to extended dry spells that turn brush into tinder – in a relatively short time. California has been prone to that phenomenon in recent years, in addition to downpours on burn scars from fires, which results in flooding and mudslides. "Really being cognizant of these shifts in weather is becoming much more important as we see the influence of climate change in the day-to-day weather patterns,'' Bowen said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'A new reality': Price tag for LA fires pegged at $65 billion
