How the costs of disasters like Hurricane Ian are calculated – and why it takes so long to add them up

By Adam Rose, University of Southern California

Ian leveled hundreds of buildings in Fort Myers, Fla. Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. experienced 15 disasters in the first nine months of 2022 that each caused at least US$1 billion in damage. Hurricane Ian is taking the largest toll of these disasters by far – but the extent of the damage co…