Dust storm envelops Phoenix, downs power lines AP - August 19, 2011
For the third time this summer, a giant wall of dust swept over Phoenix and parts of central Arizona, turning the sky brown, delaying flights, and knocking out power to thousands.
2011 Ties for Most Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters Live Science - August 19, 2011
From fires to floods to tornadoes, 2011 has already racked up a record-tying nine weather disasters that caused at least $1 billion in damage each. The costliest weather disasters in the United States since 1980 were analyzed in a report by the National Climatic Data Center, which normalized the damage amounts to 2011 values. According to the report, 108 weather-related disasters produced overall damages that reached or exceeded $1 billion. All together, those weather events caused more than $750 billion in damages. Already in 2011, the number of billion-dollar weather disasters has matched the total from 2008, and hurricane season has yet to hit full stride. Could 2011 surpass the 2008 record?
