Year in Review

According to NOAA scientists, 2011 was a record-breaking year for climate extremes, not just in the United States, but around the world. A terrible drought contributed to famine in the Horn of Africa, and torrential rains lead to deadly floods in Colombia, Thailand, and the Philippines. As part of its annual review of Earth‘s climate, NOAA scientists and other experts from around the world identified and ranked the year‘s most significant global climate or weather events. The voters consider factors such as the scope and unusualness of the event, its immediate human and economic impact, and whether it is emblematic of climate trends or variability. These images showcase the events that will go down in NOAA‘s record books as 2011‘s most significant climate or weather events.