How much is climate change costing Augusta and beyond? See this breakdown.

Climate change is responsible for increasing the intensity and frequency of weather and climate-related disasters, according to experts.

Since 1980, overall damages throughout the U.S have reached or exceeded $3.1 trillion. As of June 2025, the U.S. has sustained 417 extreme weather events with a total cost exceeding $1 billion, according to Climate Central.

The City of Augusta submitted 47 projects to FEMA, including debris removal, emergency protective measures, road and bridge repairs, utility upgrades, park maintenance, and management costs. Here’s a partial financial breakdown on the cost of recovery efforts in Augusta and beyond following Hurricane Helene:

• Overall estimated damages from Hurricane Helene totaled $81 million.
• $62.7 million has been submitted to FEMA.
• $22.4 million remains under review.
• $36.8 million has been approved by FEMA.
• $34.4 million has been reimbursed to Augusta.
• $2.4 million is pending reimbursement.
• FEMA approved 46,000 applications, dispersing $65 million in assistance to Augusta area residents.

How much debris did Hurricane Helene create in Augusta?

• 4,467,034 cubic yards of debris were cleared.
• 528 root balls and 65 cemetery stumps were removed.
• 18,890 hazardous trees were taken down.

Across the nation, climate change could cost $38 trillion per year by 2049, according to the University of Chicago Energy Policy Institute, highlighting a study published in the journal Nature that points out the patterns and severity of climate change’s economic impacts. Areas of higher costs include disaster damages, agricultural losses from droughts, coastal property damage from rising seas, and healthcare costs from climate-related illnesses.

From 1980 to 2024, Georgia experienced 134 weather and climate disasters. That includes 17 drought events, four flooding events, three freeze events, 68 severe storm events, 27 tropical cyclone events, three wildfire events, and 12 winter storm events, according to NOAA.

A rise in ocean temperatures due to human-caused climate change is fueling more intense hurricanes in the Atlantic, according to Climate Central, which is an independent, nonprofit service for journalists and scientists. Climate change caused the maximum wind speeds generated by roughly 80% of Atlantic Basin hurricanes from 2019 and 2023 to intensify by an average of 18 mph, according to a Climate Central study published in Environmental Research: Climate.

Climate change poses economic costs on various industries, including agriculture, forestry, fisheries, insurance, public infrastructure, energy, and tourism, according to The Pennsylvania State University.

How is climate change impacting agriculture?

As rainfall patterns shift, agricultural production will either increase or decrease, according to Penn State. It’s estimated that 80% of the global croplands and almost 100% of the global rangelands depend on rainfall. More than likely, growers will have to shift where crops are grown and animals graze. 

How is climate change impacting public infrastructure?

Global warming is causing sea levels to rise. This is affecting the roads, pipelines, water supply, water treatment, and power transmission lines that make up the infrastructure of countries. Governments will have to spend more to keep these systems running, and this will cause a drag on the economy.

Climate scientists are confident that climate change is causing an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather or weather-related events, such as heatwaves, drought, heavier rainfall, severe storms, and wildfires, according to SciLine, a nonpartisan, nonprofit service for journalists and scientists.

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with several funders and Journalism Funding Partners.

Erica Van Buren is the climate change reporter for The Augusta Chronicle, part of the USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at EVanBuren@gannett.com or on X: @EricaVanBuren32.