Economic costs of wind erosion in the United States

Irene Y. Feng, Thomas E. Gill (), R. Scott Van Pelt, Nicholas P. Webb and Daniel Q. Tong ()
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Irene Y. Feng: George Mason University
Thomas E. Gill: University of Texas at El Paso
R. Scott Van Pelt: USDA Agricultural Research Service
Nicholas P. Webb: USDA Agricultural Research Service
Daniel Q. Tong: George Mason University

Nature Sustainability, 2025, vol. 8, issue 3, 307-314

Abstract: Abstract Wind erosion and resulting dust negatively impact the environment and society, but there has been no comprehensive assessment of costs to the United States since the 1990s. Climate and society have changed greatly since then, including changing dustiness, spiking Valley fever infections and increased renewable energy use. By adopting published estimates and calculating emerging costs, we estimate that wind erosion and dust in the United States cost $154.4 billion annually (2017 value). This estimate quadruples the previous assessment and is higher than most other US weather and climate disasters. We also discovered many costs associated with wind erosion that are not accounted for. Our estimate, while conservative, reveals that the economic burden of wind erosion is substantial and investment in dust mitigation could yield large economic benefits.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-024-01506-4

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