This report analyzes the U.S. NOAA Storm Database (1950-2011) to identify which severe weather events are most harmful to public health and which cause the greatest economic damage. Using R, the analysis finds that tornadoes pose the greatest threat to human life and safety, while floods cause the most property and crop damage.

Balancing the strength of approaching a hypothesis test, is greatly determined on sample size. Determining an appropriate sample size based on the alpha level is greatly determined by the desired level of power. Power helps us assess the value the sample size to take on to not over use the sample size to artificially drive down a sample size, leading to type II error.