Dollars & Sense

$30 Billion

Tornadoes and other severe storms caused $30 billion in insured losses in the United States in 2008-2010, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

50%

New federal safety data shows texting while driving increased 50 percent in 2011, despite a rush by states to ban the practice.

$10.67 Billion

CoreLogic estimates 2011 U.S. flood losses totaled about $10.67 billion. The estimate is based on flooding and storm events recorded in the National Climate Data Center. U.S. flood loss in 2012 is projected at about $3.53 billion.

1,559

The 2011 tornado season was the third most active since 1980, with 1,559 storms. The “2011 Super Outbreak” that occurred between April 25 and April 28 has been identified as the largest tornado outbreak, with 336 confirmed tornadoes spread across the South, Midwest and Northeast United States.

$8 Billion

2011 was the most expensive hurricane season for the United States since 2008. While only three named Atlantic storms made landfall — Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee and Tropical Storm Don — they caused at least $8 billion in damages, primarily from flooding.