Henry Penafiel, a member of the FEMA emergency response, walks amid ruin in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Mexico Beach, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

At a Glance

There was a 151 percent increase in climate-related disaster costs in the last 20 years.The United States experienced more climate-related disaster economic losses than any other country during that 20 year span.In the last 20 years, 1.3 million people have been killed and 4.4 billion impacted by natural disasters.Earthquakes and tsunamis were responsible for 56 percent of those deaths.

A recently released United Nations report says that climate-related disaster costs are on the rise, more than a million people have been killed and more than four billionpeople have been impacted by such disasters over the last 20 years.

from 1998 to 2017, and the numbers are staggering: 1.3 million killed, 4.4 billion injured, homeless, displaced or in need of aid.

The report, by the U.N. office for disaster risk reduction, said that worldwide reported economic losses from earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, hurricanes and other climate-related disasters surged to total nearly $2.9 trillion over the past 20 years.

UNISDR, as the office is known, said the reported loss of resources and assets like homes, factories and farms due to more frequent and widespread climate-related disasters rose 151 percent compared to the previous 20-year period.

"There is a very sharp increase in the number of climate-related events, which are actually creating 77 percent of the total direct economic losses caused by disasters," said Ricardo Mena, a UNISDR official. "This is really very alarming information."

Climate-related disasters — such as from the impact of floods, droughts, and heat waves — accounted for $2.25 trillion of the total. That was up from $895 billion reported between 1978 and 1997.

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“If we do not change course by 2020, we risk missing the point where we can avoid runaway climate change, with disastrous consequences for people and all the natural systems that sustain us," UN Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres said.

The rest of the total came primarily from tsunamis and earthquakes — so-called geophysical disasters. Those geophyiscal disasters were responsible for 56 percent, or 747,234, of the 1.3 million deaths from disasters during the timespan.

The U.S. topped the list at over $944 billion, nearly twice the figure from China, in second. Japan, India and Puerto Rico completed the top five.

The report came before Florida and theSoutheastUnited States took a disastrous hit from Hurricane Michael.

The agency cautioned Wednesday that the 1998-2017 figures rely on official reports, so more economically powerful countries are generally overrepresented. Insurance is less widespread in developing countries.

UNISDR's tally is based on confirmed documentation, meaning the $2.9 trillion is likely only a fraction of actual losses.