The 2011 weather year: no surprise here, right?

Hundreds of cars are seen stranded, below, from last Feb. 2, on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago after a winter blizzard of historic proportions.

It's just come out, as I predicted earlier: 2011 Breaks Record For Most Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters In terms of weather, 2011 has made it into the record books. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that during this year, there have been 12 different weather disasters that cost more than $1 billion. The previous record was nine in 2008. A few more facts from NOAA: — "These 12 disasters alone resulted in the tragic loss of 646 lives, with the National Weather Service reporting over 1,000 deaths across all weather categories for the year." — NOAA had originally counted 10 disasters, but that estimate went up after the wildfires in Texas and New Mexico exceeded $1 billion in damage. Also, NOAA just added the "June 18-22 Midwest/Southeast tornadoes and Severe Weather event, which just recently exceeded the $1 billion threshold." And we still have 23 days to go, to the end of the year. Here's hoping we're through with these weather disasters. For this year, anyway. Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/12/07/143304115/2011-breaks-record-for-most-billion-dollar-weather-disasters