Photos of extreme storms, air, floods and more 2023 climate disasters – USA TODAY

Every corner of the United States has been affected by a string of violent storms so far this year, some which have reduced entire towns to ruins and led to tremendous losses of life. 
Experts expect El Niño conditions to gradually strengthen into the Northern Hemisphere this winter and into 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced June 8. An El Niño is a warming of sea surface temperature in the eastern Pacific Ocean that can affect global weather and increase the risk of natural disasters, such as floods in some areas and droughts in others, and occurs every 2-7 years on average. 
According to the Climate Prediction Center “the odds of it becoming a strong event at its peak are pretty good, at 56%. Chances of at least a moderate event are about 84%.” As of June 8, the U.S. had nine confirmed weather or climate disaster events that resulted in the deaths of 99 people and caused losses of more than $1 billion in each disaster, according to NOAA.
More:El Niño is back, NOAA says. Will it help fuel Earth’s hottest year on record?
Near the halfway mark of 2023, photos highlight the extreme weather that battered Americans across the nation these last six months. 
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Contributing: Doyle Rice

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