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Billion-dollar disasters nearly tripled in WA over 20 years

Data: First Street Foundation; Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

Natural disasters causing at least $1 billion in damage nearly tripled in Washington state over the last 20 years, due primarily to wildfires and droughts, according to recent data.

Why it matters: In addition to threatening homes and property, disasters are causing insurers to change how they factor climate and extreme weather risks into premiums.