In an era where extreme weather events dominate headlines, one of the most striking illustrations of America's changing climate landscape is a chart that climbs like a mountain, tracking the nation's billion-dollar weather disasters since 1980. Behind the rising curve lies a complex story that interweaves population growth, coastal development, and the intricate relationship between extreme weather and our warming planet. The truth, as leading disaster experts and former NOAA officials reveal, may be more nuanced than the dramatic upward trend suggests. Harry Stevens from The Washington Post delves into the data and paints a picture that requires us to look deeper at how we build, where we live, and how we prepare for an uncertain climate future.