# Passive Microwave Imagers, Their Applications, and Benefits: A Review
## 3 The Applications, Benefits, and Impacts of PMWIs on Society  
The societal benefits and impacts of PMWIs are significant, as they contribute to a range of sectors, including disaster management and environmental and climate change monitoring. In the context of this review, societal value and impact refer to the effects on people's lives and their communities, as well as the potential economic consequences of extreme weather events. This section will explore the value of PMWIs for a variety of applications in greater detail, along with the challenges in measuring it. The impact of PMWI observations varies depending on their application. PMWI data are widely used to analyze and understand TCs, flooding, extreme precipitation (rain and snowfall), wildfires, drought, weather variability, and climate change. TCs are destructive events that pose a risk to people's lives every year. From 1980 to August 2023, TCs resulted in a death toll of 6890 and caused substantial financial damage, with an average cost of USD 22.8 billion per event in the United States (U.S.) alone [113]. A notable example is the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, which marked the fifth consecutive year of above-average hurricane activity, with 30 storms [36]. Globally, TCs have cost USD 1.4 trillion and have killed approximately 779,000 individuals in the period from 1972 to 2022 [36]. [PERSON] and [PERSON] conducted a study of the Western North Pacific to assess which countries in the area experienced the most deaths and economic losses from 1980 to 2008, as this area is frequently affected by TCs. The study found that the highest death toll occurred in the Philippines, with an average of 115 fatalities per TC, while the highest economic loss was in China, with approximately USD 0.9 billion per TC [37]. [PERSON] and [PERSON] stated that damages vary depending on whether the storm impacts urban or rural areas [114]. Damage and fatalities do not necessarily increase with population density, as urban areas often have better protective measures, strategies, and plans in place. Additionally, in wealthier countries, damage increases gradually with rising income and TC intensity. The study also found significant regional variations in TC damages, with the U.S. accounting for 60% of global damages annually, a figure that could rise to 84% by 2100. Their model suggested that the U.S. is the most vulnerable to the impacts of TCs due to climate change [114]. Additionally, [PERSON] stated that mandatory evacuations along the East Coast and Gulf Coast of the U.S. cost approximately USD 1 million per mile. Moreover, [PERSON] et al. stated that due to the high concentration of expensive equipment in the U.S. military bases, a TC impact can cause damages of up to USD 2 billion. For instance, in 2018, Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael struck Camp Lejeune and Tyndall Air Force Base, respectively, costing the U.S. military billions of dollars in rebuilding costs and resulting in the loss of an F-22 fighter jet [115]. The proactive measures taken by the DoD, such as employing the TC Conditions of Readiness (TC-CORs) system, highlight the importance of predictive measures and warnings in mitigating the impact of severe weather events associated with TCs [42; 115]. Spaceborne instruments that include PMWIs have great potential to enhance track and intensity forecasts for TCs [45; 116; 46]. Table 2 provides information about the applications of GMI data. For instance, [PERSON] et al. stated that GMI data significantly improved TC forecasting, beginning with the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season [38]. Specifically, the Tbs from GMI are assimilated into NWP models to forecast TCs more accurately and correct their tracks. Other applications of GMI data are also included in Table 2. Furthermore, GMI is being used to develop a near-real-time global flood monitoring system, which allows for timely flood detection and estimates of intensity, streamflow, and inundation [38].