Cascading extreme weather events unleash billions in damages globally

First came a dry spell that parched the land, then a spark, followed by some wind. Suddenly, swaths of South Carolina were consumed by voracious flames.

More than 100 fires ignited in the state last weekend — an unusually high total even in the heart of fire season. It was the perfect combination of arid air, dry fuels and gusting winds that combined to spread the flames, said Doug Wood, a spokesman for the state’s Forestry Commission.

The South Carolina disaster is the latest high-profile example of compound weather, or two or more concurrent…