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April is Earth Month, observed worldwide to promote environmental awareness and stewardship. As global temperatures rise and weather patterns shift, many people ask: Are natural disasters increasing? Evidence suggests they are, and experts warn that this trend may continue. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, 2025 is already on pace to be one of the most active years for billion-dollar weather events in recent history.
Factors Driving the Increase in Natural Disasters
There are a few key factors that are impacting the increase in natural disasters:
- Climate Change: Scientists widely agree that climate change increases natural disasters in both frequency and intensity. Rising sea levels, warming ocean temperatures, and altered weather patterns all contribute to more extreme events. For instance, warmer oceans can generate stronger hurricanes, while higher atmospheric temperatures can lead to prolonged droughts. The U.S. Geological Survey notes that these environmental shifts amplify the severity of storms, floods, and heat waves.
- Rapid Urbanization: The surge in city development means more people now live in disaster-prone areas. Urban expansion along coastlines or floodplains increases the population’s exposure to hurricanes, floods, and other hazards. This amplification of vulnerability directly impacts the increase in natural disasters due to climate change because more people and structures stand in harm’s way.
- Changing Weather Patterns: Recent data from Our World in Data highlights the complexity of tracking disasters over time. However, the consensus is that rising atmospheric moisture and shifting wind patterns are major factors in today’s natural disasters on the rise.
2025 Snapshot: Natural-Disaster Numbers So Far — and What Forecasters Expect Next
Through April 23, 2025, the United States has avoided any billion-dollar weather catastrophes — a sharp but likely temporary calm. NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information confirms zero such events to date, compared with an annual average of 23 over the last five years. Federal declarations, however, show that damage is still occurring. FEMA has already issued five major disaster declarations for California wildfires and straight-line winds, Oregon winter storms, Missouri flooding, West Virginia severe storms, and Virginia winter storms, plus emergency declarations in Tennessee and Kentucky for April tornado outbreaks. The agency’s April 22 Disaster Relief Fund Report notes that response and recovery obligations have already surpassed $4 billion this fiscal year, underscoring the financial pressure even a “quiet” first quarter can exert.
Globally, the humanitarian picture looks busier. ReliefWeb has logged dozens of 2025 emergencies ranging from devastating April floods in Kinshasa, DR Congo, to March’s magnitude-6.1 earthquake in Myanmar and Tropical Cyclone Jude’s landfall in Mozambique. These events killed or displaced thousands and triggered multi-agency appeals for aid, suggesting that the global disaster count — already above 70 incidents by ReliefWeb’s running total — is pacing ahead of the 10-year average.
Projections for the Rest of 2025
Colorado State University’s April outlook calls for 17 named storms, nine hurricanes, and four major hurricanes — an “above-normal” season fueled by warm Atlantic waters and a projected transition to ENSO-neutral conditions later this summer. Even if only one storm makes US landfall, NOAA analysts warn the nation could still finish the year with the customary 16-to-24 billion-dollar events as insured losses accumulate.
NOAA’s spring outlook highlights persistent drought across the Southwest and expanding dryness in the Pacific Northwest, raising wildfire risk heading into late summer.
The same warm Gulf waters that power hurricanes are expected to juice thunderstorm energy across the Central Plains. Tornado-producing squall lines like the early-April outbreak in Tennessee and Kentucky are forecast to recur as jet-stream patterns amplify.
Early-year statistics can be misleading: the absence of billion-dollar disasters so far does not signal a benign 2025. With hurricane season still ahead and drought-driven wildfires looming, experts anticipate a return to the modern norm of 20-plus high-cost events in the United States — alongside a steady drumbeat of international crises. For governments and employers alike, these numbers reinforce the need for well-funded disaster relief programs that can pivot quickly from declaration to direct assistance when the inevitable strikes.
Why Relief Funds Are Essential
As natural disasters increase, so do the financial and human costs. Establishing an employee relief fund is one of the most effective ways to provide immediate, targeted support to team members and others in the aftermath.
- Prompt Financial Assistance: After a disaster, people often face urgent needs — such as medical care, emergency housing, and essential supplies. A relief fund can disburse aid quickly, which is vital in the aftermath of catastrophic events.
- Long-Term Recovery: Even when the initial disaster subsides, rebuilding takes time and is often costly.
- Employee Well-Being: For organizations, setting up a disaster and hardship relief fund — like those administered by the Emergency Assistance Foundation (EAF) — can bolster morale and loyalty. It demonstrates a genuine commitment to employees and their families.
EAF relief funds have helped so many individuals recover from wildfires, hurricanes, and earthquakes. This underscores the value of corporate and community-driven programs that stand ready to provide assistance during crises.
How Establishing a Relief Fund With EAF in 2025 Can Help Your Organization Support Those in Need
If you’re interested in making sure your team members and others are taken care of, but are unsure about how to launch an employee relief fund, we’re here to help!
In the aftermath of severe weather, a disaster, or personal hardship, your organization needs the ability to help those impacted rebuild and recover from the potentially devastating impact. A relief fund can boost morale and allow your employees to donate and contribute directly to the support of fellow team members. Establishing a relief fund can alleviate the stress that disasters and hardship put on those within your organization and allow them to stay focused on recovering from the event.
If your organization is interested in launching a relief fund, consider establishing a fund with EAF today. As a financial first responder, we’re resourceful and fearless in ensuring that financial assistance reaches individuals in need, no matter the unique circumstances involved.
By establishing a fund with us today, your organization can assist members of your team affected by natural disasters and other hardships. Relief fund grants can help impacted individuals pull through difficult times and start on the path toward recovery. If you’d like to learn more about how your organization can help your team during crises, you can review additional information about how a fund works or contact us today. We look forward to helping you make a difference for those who need it most!
