Storms, Fires, and Hail Leave Lasting Scars on Corporate America

The impacts of climate shocks are not fleeting. Not for households, not for governments — and certainly not for corporations.

Quite the opposite, in fact. The economic and financial ripples of storms, floods, wildfires and the like linger long after the immediate physical danger passes, eating away at companies’ earnings and hindering their operations for months and years into the future. 

That’s the story written in the earnings call transcripts of S&P 500 companies from last quarter. While the devastation of Hurricanes Helene, Milton, and Beryl are receding into the past — and the horrors of the Los Angeles wildfires are slowly fading from view — they still warrant frequent mentions by America’s top executives.

This speaks to the long tail of climate-related impacts, and the long-term nature of corporate climate adaptation. From the mouths of top CEOs, it’s clear that climate-proofing is not a one-and-done exercise, but something that has to be worked out over many quarters — and indeed may never be ‘completed’ in the classic sense.

⬇️Scroll to the bottom of the article to download a slide deck with key executives’ quotes on the climate risk impacts and adaptation efforts

▶️ Premium members can also explore all the excerpts over at the S&P 500 Climate Physical Risk Signals Data Dashboard HERE