Homeowners Insurance
States Most at Risk for Winter Weather Property Damage
Winter weather is fast approaching in parts of the U.S. Dropping temperatures mean many homeowners begin to prep their homes for winter. In fact, winter weather has already caused an estimated $61.8 million in property damage in 2024, according to the latest ValuePenguin study.
After going over our findings, we’ll discuss tips on utilizing home insurance to prepare for winter weather.
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Key findings
- Winter weather has already caused an estimated $61.8 million in property damage in the U.S. in 2024. Extending that to last winter and the surrounding months (November 2023 through April 2024), winter weather caused $242.5 million in property damage. And further widening that to the past 10 years, winter weather has caused $1.7 billion in property damage. More than a third (34.3%) of this happened in 2015 ($592.5 million), while 19.8% occurred in 2021 ($342.3 million).
- So far in 2024, 77.1% of winter weather-related property damage has occurred in Oregon. That translates to $47.6 million. Nebraska follows at a distant $7.5 million (12.1%) in damage. Looking at the wider 2023-24 winter season, Texas experienced 36.0% of the damage ($87.2 million), followed by Oregon (27.9%, or $67.6 million) and Michigan (20.4%, or $49.4 million). In the 10-year look, Texas ($416.3 million) again topped the list, followed by New Mexico ($406.0 million) and Oregon ($212.0 million).
- If you’re looking for a state safe from winter weather property damage, five could be considered. In the past 10 years, there has been no reported property damage related to winter weather in Hawaii, the District of Columbia and Delaware. And perhaps surprisingly given the number of winter weather events they experience, no property damage from winter weather was reported in Maine or New Hampshire.
- So far in 2024 (through May), 91 deaths have been attributed to winter weather. That’s a troubling increase from the 75 winter weather deaths reported across 2023. From 2015 through May 2024, there were 1,355 deaths, or an average of 140 per full year of data. During these 10 years, winter weather fatalities peaked at 236 in 2021. In the 10 years, Texas (200), Wisconsin (118), California (68) and New York (68) saw the most winter weather fatalities.
What’s considered a winter weather hazard?
Using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), ValuePenguin researchers calculated the estimated amount of property damage in the 50 states and the District of Columbia due to winter weather events from 2015 through May 2024.
To define weather events, we looked at winter weather-related natural hazards. These include:
- Heavy snow
- Extreme cold/wind chill
- Ice storms
- Winter weather
- Blizzards
- Cold/wind chill
- Lake-effect snow
- Winter storms
- Frost/freeze
- Sleet
- Avalanches
When determining the number of deaths caused by a winter weather event, researchers included deaths directly and indirectly caused by winter weather. Using NOAA definitions, the difference between a direct and indirect death is:
- A direct fatality can be directly attributed to the winter weather event itself, such as being impacted by falling debris. For example, if a falling tree strikes a person during a blizzard, their death could be directly attributed to the blizzard itself.
- An indirect fatality occurs in the surrounding area or after the event has ended and isn’t directly caused by impact or debris from the event itself. Motor vehicle deaths caused by ice, snow and water on the road are indirect deaths. We can use the same scenario above as an example: If a person crashes their car into the same tree during the storm, their death would be indirectly related to the blizzard.
So far, winter weather has caused estimated $61.8 million in damage
Winter weather is gearing up for its annual comeback, but many in the U.S. have already experienced related property damage. From January through May 2024, winter weather caused an estimated $61.8 million in property damage across the U.S.
Widening that period to November 2023 through April 2024 — winter and its surrounding months — as a comparison, winter weather caused $242.5 million in property damage. (Note: While we have data for May 2024, the 2023-24 analysis stops in April to better align with the winter season.) During this period, the country experienced two billion-dollar winter weather disasters — both in January 2024 (with the first affecting central, Northeast and Southern states and the second affecting the Northwest).
According to ValuePenguin home insurance expert Divya Sangameshwar, winter weather will only continue to worsen. "When we look at all the disasters that struck from November 2023 through April 2024, we can see how climate change is reshaping winter — and making it deadlier," she says. "On top of the two winter weather events, the country also experienced seven severe tornado outbreaks and one major flood event during the same period."
Estimated winter weather property damage, 2015 through May 2024
Year | Winter weather property damage | % of total winter weather property damage |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $592.5 million | 34.3% |
| 2016 | $31.4 million | 1.8% |
| 2017 | $308.8 million | 17.9% |
| 2018 | $82.1 million | 4.8% |
| 2019 | $79.2 million | 4.6% |
| 2020 | $6.0 million | 0.3% |
| 2021 | $342.3 million | 19.8% |
| 2022 | $31.1 million | 1.8% |
| 2023 | $191.8 million | 11.1% |
| 2024 | $61.8 million | 3.6% |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data. Note: 2024 data is through May.
From 2015 through May 2024, winter weather caused $1.7 billion in property damage, with 2015 seeing $592.5 million in damage — accounting for more than a third (34.3%) of the total. Several major storms hit the U.S. that year, the first occurring in January and stretching from Ohio to Connecticut. A second storm occurred at the end of January and in early February in Illinois. Finally, winter storm Cara hit the central Plains around Thanksgiving.
Following 2015, $342.3 million in damage occurred in 2021, accounting for 19.8% of the total. That largely can be attributed to the Great Texas Freeze in February, the first billion-dollar disaster of that year.
Majority of 2024 winter weather damage has occurred in Oregon
By state, $47.6 million of the winter weather damage in 2024 through May occurred in Oregon. That means Oregon has experienced 77.1% of winter weather-related property damage so far in 2024.
How does that affect homeowners there? "The significant winter weather damage in Oregon will lead to higher insurance premiums — something that Oregon homeowners are already dealing with after several years of disasters, including the 2020 Labor Day fires, the 2022 winter storm, flooding in 2023 and the destructive winter storm Indigo in 2024," Sangameshwar says. "From 2019 to 2024, home insurance premiums in the state have risen 42%."
In a distant second, Nebraska has experienced $7.5 million in winter storm damage — or 12.1% of the total. Homeowners here have seen a 60% increase in insurance premiums from 2019 to 2024, with a 13% rate increase in the first quarter of 2024 — the highest in the country.
States with the highest estimated winter weather property damage, 2024
Rank | State | Winter weather property damage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $47.6 million |
| 2 | Nebraska | $7.5 million |
| 3 | Utah | $2.5 million |
| 4 | Idaho | $1.2 million |
| 5 | Wisconsin | $587,000 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $565,000 |
| 7 | Montana | $542,000 |
| 8 | Mississippi | $540,000 |
| 9 | Washington | $282,000 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $226,000 |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NOAA data. Note: 2024 data is through May.
Looking more broadly at the 2023-24 winter season and the surrounding months, Texas experienced $87.2 million in winter weather damage, accounting for 36.0% of total damage. That’s followed by Oregon ($67.6 million, or 27.9%) and Michigan ($49.4 million, or 20.4%).
Oregon was affected by the Northwest winter storm in January.
States with the highest estimated winter weather property damage, November 2023 through April 2024
Rank | State | Winter weather property damage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $87.2 million |
| 2 | Oregon | $67.6 million |
| 3 | Michigan | $49.4 million |
| 4 | California | $15.6 million |
| 5 | Nebraska | $7.5 million |
| 6 | Utah | $4.8 million |
| 7 | Washington | $2.3 million |
| 8 | Idaho | $1.5 million |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $1.3 million |
| 10 | Minnesota | $1.1 million |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NOAA data. Note: Though 2024 data is available through May, our 2023-24 analysis stops in April to better align with the winter weather season.
Looking at 2015 through May 2024, Texas ($416.3 million) again topped the list, with $364.4 million of this damage occurring from 2020 through May 2024 — the only state with damage in the hundreds of millions in that period. Over 10 years, that’s followed by New Mexico ($406.0 million) and Oregon ($212.0 million).
States with the highest estimated winter weather property damage, 2015 through May 2024
Rank | State | Winter weather property damage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $416.3 million |
| 2 | New Mexico | $406.0 million |
| 3 | Oregon | $212.0 million |
| 4 | Michigan | $118.2 million |
| 5 | Idaho | $103.4 million |
| 6 | Oklahoma | $98.1 million |
| 7 | Tennessee | $78.9 million |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $36.3 million |
| 9 | Ohio | $32.9 million |
| 10 | Minnesota | $20.3 million |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NOAA data. Note: 2024 data is through May.
Not every state experienced winter weather damage, though. From 2015 through May 2024, there was no reported property damage related to winter weather in five states: Hawaii, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maine and New Hampshire.
Sangameshwar says it’s good for homeowners in these states to have no winter weather damage over the past year since that means no monetary losses from rebuilding or repairs or emotional distress from evacuating. However, they’re not immune to rate increases.
"Even states that experience no winter weather damage are vulnerable to increases in their home insurance premiums," she says. "From 2019 to 2024, Delaware has seen premiums increase by 22% and the District of Columbia and Hawaii have seen a 15% increase."
"Most insurers that operate in these markets also operate in other states where disaster damage claims are becoming more common and expensive due to climate change-driven extreme weather and rising construction costs," she says. "As insurers pass on their rising costs to their policyholders in the form of higher premiums, every American homeowner with an insurance policy will be impacted."
Full rankings
Total estimated winter weather property damage, 2024
Rank | State | Winter weather property damage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $47.6 million |
| 2 | Nebraska | $7.5 million |
| 3 | Utah | $2.5 million |
| 4 | Idaho | $1.2 million |
| 5 | Wisconsin | $587,000 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $565,000 |
| 7 | Montana | $542,000 |
| 8 | Mississippi | $540,000 |
| 9 | Washington | $282,000 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $226,000 |
| 11 | Alaska | $100,000 |
| 12 | Michigan | $95,000 |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NOAA data. Note: 2024 data is through May.
Total estimated winter weather property damage, November 2023 through April 2024
Rank | State | Winter weather property damage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $87.2 million |
| 2 | Oregon | $67.6 million |
| 3 | Michigan | $49.4 million |
| 4 | California | $15.6 million |
| 5 | Nebraska | $7.5 million |
| 6 | Utah | $4.8 million |
| 7 | Washington | $2.3 million |
| 8 | Idaho | $1.5 million |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $1.3 million |
| 10 | Minnesota | $1.1 million |
| 11 | New Mexico | $594,000 |
| 12 | Mississippi | $540,000 |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NOAA data. Note: Though 2024 data is available through May, our 2023-24 analysis stops in April to better align with the winter weather season.
Total estimated winter weather property damage, 2015 through May 2024
Rank | State | Winter weather property damage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $416.3 million |
| 2 | New Mexico | $406.0 million |
| 3 | Oregon | $212.0 million |
| 4 | Michigan | $118.2 million |
| 5 | Idaho | $103.4 million |
| 6 | Oklahoma | $98.1 million |
| 7 | Tennessee | $78.9 million |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $36.3 million |
| 9 | Ohio | $32.9 million |
| 10 | Minnesota | $20.3 million |
| 11 | California | $18.7 million |
| 12 | New York | $16.9 million |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NOAA data. Note: 2024 data is through May.
91 deaths have been attributed to winter weather in 2024
So far in 2024 (through May), 91 deaths have been attributed to winter weather. That’s up from 75 winter weather deaths reported across all of 2023.
From 2015 through May 2024, 1,355 deaths were attributed to winter weather. That breaks down to an average of 140 deaths per full year of data. During these 10 years, winter weather fatalities were highest at 236 in 2021.
"While 91 deaths may not be a record high, it’s still concerning that so many Americans are dying from winter weather — especially if seen in the broader context of climate change," Sangameshwar says. "And this number doesn’t capture deaths from other causes exacerbated by winter weather, including diseases like the flu, COVID-19 or pneumonia. It also doesn’t account for preexisting conditions worsened by the cold weather, including cardiovascular or respiratory illnesses."
As the jet streams bring colder air to parts of the country where populations aren’t used to it, deaths from hypothermia — especially in homes not equipped to handle extreme cold — will become increasingly common. And as America’s population ages, winter weather risk will only increase, particularly for those with preexisting health conditions.
Total winter weather fatalities, 2015 through May 2024
Year | Winter weather fatalities |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 168 |
| 2016 | 124 |
| 2017 | 85 |
| 2018 | 139 |
| 2019 | 158 |
| 2020 | 108 |
| 2021 | 236 |
| 2022 | 171 |
| 2023 | 75 |
| 2024 | 91 |
| Total | 1,355 |
| Full-year average | 140 |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NOAA data. Note: 2024 data is through May.
In the 10 years examined, Texas (200) saw the most winter weather fatalities. That’s followed by Wisconsin (118), California (68) and New York (68). Conversely, five states had no winter weather fatalities: Hawaii, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Rhode Island and Alabama.
States with the most winter weather fatalities, 2015 through May 2024
Rank | State | Winter weather fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 200 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 118 |
| 3 | California | 68 |
| 3 | New York | 68 |
| 5 | Colorado | 54 |
| 6 | Illinois | 52 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 50 |
| 8 | Indiana | 45 |
| 9 | South Dakota | 43 |
| 10 | Kentucky | 42 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 42 |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NOAA data. Note: 2024 data is through May.
Full rankings
Winter weather fatalities, 2015 through May 2024
Rank | State | Winter weather fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 200 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 118 |
| 3 | California | 68 |
| 3 | New York | 68 |
| 5 | Colorado | 54 |
| 6 | Illinois | 52 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 50 |
| 8 | Indiana | 45 |
| 9 | South Dakota | 43 |
| 10 | Kentucky | 42 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 42 |
| 12 | Minnesota | 41 |
Source: ValuePenguin analysis of NOAA data. Note: 2024 data is through May.
Preparing for the winter season: Top expert tips
While it’s important to prepare your home and car for winter perils, it’s also important to know what your insurance will cover if the unexpected happens. Sangameshwar says to review your coverage with your carrier to find out what is and isn’t covered and look into purchasing extra coverage to make sure you’re financially protected.
Here are a few things you should review:
- Coverage for your home’s structure. "Under most standard homeowners insurance policies, repairs to any damage from a winter accident — including fire or fallen trees — will be covered," she says. "Some carriers may also cover repair costs for damage inflicted on outdoor structures. If your house is rendered temporarily unlivable, you might also get accommodations paid for with the coverage. However, standard homeowners insurance policies may not cover damage from hail or high winds — especially if you live in areas where wind and hail damage is common. Flooding is another winter peril becoming increasingly common that isn’t covered by a standard homeowners insurance policy."
- Out-of-pocket liability. "If your car slides on ice and hits another vehicle, or if a guest to your home slips and falls, liability insurance should spare you from out-of-pocket costs for any resulting lawsuits or damage," Sangameshwar says. "However, liability coverage has limits, and it’s important to review how much you have and increase it or get umbrella insurance if your net worth exceeds your coverage by a large margin."
- Car insurance checkup. "Liability-only insurance may be cheap, but it won’t cover most perils," she says. "Check to see what kind of insurance you have and what is and isn’t covered. A full coverage insurance policy will cover you for some of the more common winter weather driving perils, including a crash on icy roads or damage from a fallen tree or downed power line."
Methodology
ValuePenguin researchers analyzed National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data to calculate the amount of property damage caused by winter weather events.
The categories examined were:
- Heavy snow
- Extreme cold
- Ice storms
- Winter weather
- Blizzards
- Cold/wind chill
- Lake-effect snow
- Winter storms
- Frost/freeze
- Sleet
- Avalanches
We studied the 50 states and the District of Columbia between 2015 and the first five months of 2024 — the latest available. We generally analyzed three periods:
- 2024 (January through May)
- 2023 winter weather season (November 2023 through April 2024)
- 2015 through May 2024
Total deaths include both those directly and indirectly caused by winter weather.