NOAA ending its "billion-dollar disasters" database

NOAA announced Thursday that it is decommissioning several databases, including its widely reported annual compilation of billion-dollar weather and climate disasters.

The announcement was made on NOAA's website under "notice of change," which said it would no longer be updated due to "evolving priorities, statutory mandates, and staffing changes." The move was first reported by CNN.

The database is a popular tool, both for the government as well as the insurance industry, and media organizations often use it for reporting on the economic costs of extreme weather.