Interactive Map Reveals Extreme Weather Disasters Impact 80 Percent of Americans (Map)

The weather is becoming a little more extreme in the United States. A newly released report reveals that 243 million people--nearly 80 percent of the U.S. population--live in counties that have experienced at least one weather-related disaster since 2007.

The report itself is based on six years of county-level disaster declaration data gathered from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It covers almost everything, including hurricanes, floods, drought, tornadoes and winter storms. It also highlights which areas are most vulnerable to what disasters. For example, New York City experienced two hurricanes between the years of 2007 and 2012 while Queens experienced two severe storms, two hurricanes and one tornado. In fact, the researchers created an online interactive map that allows the public to see exactly what areas are most impacted by severe weather events and what those weather events might be.

The past few years have not been kind to the U.S. Every state except for South Carolina has had at least one county declared a federal disaster area. The Plains states in particular are prone to these extreme weather events. For example, Oklahoma experienced severe storms that stretched across several of its counties with one county experiencing 12 severe weather events.

Weather disasters don't just devastate lives; they're also extremely expensive. In 2012 alone, the U.S. recorded 11 weather disasters that created economic losses of $1 billion or more. Hurricane Sandy by itself caused over $70 billion-worth in damages and claimed 72 lives in the Northeast. This makes it the costliest weather disaster since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Unfortunately, it's likely that these weather events are going to continue into the future. A growing body of research points to the fact that climate change and global warming are driving extreme weather. In fact, 2012 was the hottest year on record for the U.S., and caused the worst drought in more than 50 years.

"Extreme weather is happening, it is causing very serious problems and global warming increases the likelihood that we'll see even more extreme weather in the future," said Nathan Willcox, co-author of the report, in an interview with The Washington Post.

Want to see the interactive weather map for yourself? Check it out here.