In 2023, there were a total of 79 fatalities reported due to floods in the United States, down from 105 fatalities in the previous year. Since 2010, the highest number of ives lost due to floods in a single year was recorded in 2015, with a total of 189.

In 2023, floods caused the death of roughly ***** people across the globe. Nevertheless, this death toll is dwarfed in comparison to the peak recorded in 1999. That year, some ****** people died as a result of floods, mostly the consequence of one of the deadliest flood incidents of the previous century, which hit Venezuela in December. The effects of flooding While the death toll is the most critical impact of flooding incidents, it is not the only one. For example, more than ** million people were impacted by floods worldwide in 2023, including those injured, affected or left homeless. In 2010 alone, almost *** million people were affected. Floods also incur massive economic damage by destroying buildings and infrastructure. Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Egypt were the most exposed to river flooding as of 2024. Climate change and flooding As climate change causes global temperatures to rise, floods are expected to increase in frequency and severity. A warmer atmosphere is able to retain more moisture, leading to an increase in intense downpours. It also affects snowmelt patterns. According to a 2022 report, the global population exposed to flood was expected to rise by ** percent in the case of an increase in global temperatures of *** degrees Celsius.

With a risk index score of 9.9, Bangladesh, Egypt, and Vietnam are the top countries worldwide regarding river flood risk, based on their physical exposure to this type of event. Thailand followed a close second, with a risk index score of 9.8. Where are flooding events most common? In 2024, nine out of the top 10 countries in terms of exposure to river flood risk were located in Asia, in particular in the south and eastern regions of the continent. Southeast Asia is prone to frequent and intense flooding events due to several factors, which include low average elevations, high incidence of tropical storms and heavy rains, prolonged monsoons, and underdeveloped flood protection infrastructure. In addition, climate change is also contributing to the increase in frequency and severity of these events. It is estimated that the global population exposed to flooding incidents will increase by 30 percent in a two-degrees-Celsius warming scenario. Record-breaking floods in Pakistan and Bangladesh Amongst the countries most exposed to floods in Southeast Asia, Bangladesh and Pakistan were particularly affected by floods in 2022. Torrential rain and unceasing downpours struck the countries from early June that year, leading to one of the worst flooding events in their history. In Pakistan, the floods have caused more than 1,700 deaths. In Bangladesh, an estimated 7.2 million people were affected by widespread damage to homes, infrastructure, croplands, and sanitation facilities. Overall, Pakistan and Bangladesh had some of the largest populations exposed to flood risk worldwide.

Floods are the most common type of natural disaster recorded in Europe. Between 2001 and 2020, flooding accounted for 41 percent of all weather-related disasters reported. By comparison, extreme temperature made up 23 percent of all natural disaster occurrences in that time period. As of 2021, the 1953 storm surge in the Netherlands and Belgium was the deadliest flood in Europe, with over 2,000 fatalities, while the 2021 river/flash flood in Germany and Belgium had 209 fatalities.

Contributors to weather-related incidents
Contributors to weather-related disaster incidents may be human action, land use, and land cover besides the obvious climatic factors. As of 2021, around 92 million addresses in Germany had a flooding risk category of hazard class 1. Elevated temperatures and strong winds can also intensify extreme weather disasters, as has been the case for wildfires in the Mediterranean in recent years.

Other effects and costs Besides environmental damage, weather-related disasters affect the local population, hinder economic growth and come with huge insurance costs. For example, between 2013 and 2020, programmed restoration expenditure for forests damaged by fire in Italy amounted to 130 million euros.

In 2019, about **** million people in the Philippines had been affected by floods that occurred in the country. The number of people impacted by floods in the Philippines was highest in 2012 at about **** million people.