The US Government has declared a record-breaking 86 natural disasters in the past year, up from a previous record of 81 – a figure set only last year.

The Insurance Information Institute (III) says the current figures cover only the nine months to September 30, but the disaster tally for 2011 may yet rise with the hurricane season running for another seven weeks.

US insurers paid out nearly $US25 billion ($25.5 billion) in the first nine months of 2011 after a string of snowstorms, tornadoes and wild fires.

III President Robert Hartwig says the number of US disaster declarations has been trending upward, “particularly over the past 15 years”.

The average number of declarations between 1953 and 2010 was 34 a year.

“We’re likely to see three times that many by year-end 2011,” Dr Hartwig said. “However, this year is only the fifth or sixth most expensive year on record.”

He says the increasing rate of disaster declarations is not due solely to a rising number of catastrophes.

“Federal disaster declarations make federal funding available for emergency recovery efforts that support state, tribal, territorial and local communities.”

The bill from disasters is putting enormous pressure on the US budget and has triggered debates in Congress over how to fund the assistance programs.