You are Not Alone: Thousands of Businesses Feeling Impact

Climate change is already impacting the bottom line of businesses across the United States. An estimated 9.8% of businesses experienced monetary loss due to extreme weather in just one year, according to the US Census. Losses are mostly attributed to familiar foes, but they are far more super-powered than in the past: the hurricane season in the East, the wildfire season in the West, and hail, tornadoes, and floods from severe storms in the Midwest and South. Being located in a major city did not render protection from climate change either; a sobering 9,000 to 15,000 businesses in New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, and Houston suffered losses (see Map 1). Climate used to be treated as a long-range concern, but now a company’s susceptibility to extreme weather is relevant to its day-to-day operations.

Given the numbers, Climate Risk Analysis shifts from a “nice to have” to “need to have” priority. CEOs are charged with envisioning the future, and assessing risks, hazards, and market shifts, and the climate change-worsened natural disasters are already here and costing society billions — 23 separate billion dollar disasters hit on-shore assets in the mainland US in year 2025 alone (see Map 2 ). Put another way, 23 weather-driven events in 2025 cost at least $1 billion each, with the total loss at $115 billion.

Map 1

Map 2