CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming officials expect moderate to extreme drought to persist and spread throughout the state.

The multiyear drought is Wyoming's worst since 2013. Last year was Wyoming’s fifth driest and 16th warmest since 1895.

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The Casper Star-Tribune reports even parts of the state with average or above-average precipitation got it earlier in the year than usual.

Ian Tator with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department says that leaves those areas just as susceptible to drought now. Scientists expect the trend to worsen due to climate change. The result: More wildfires and strain for wildlife, farmers and ranchers.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

 

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