Are We Safe Anywhere?

With the disastrous tornado that hit Oklahoma this week, it got me thinking.  Why would people rebuild there, when similar incidents have occurred in the past. That’s a silly question really.  Where can we live in the United States that doesn’t experience natural disasters?  Curious, I decided to do a little research. According to the Institute for Business & Home Safety, every location in the country is exposed to one disaster or another.  However, there are places that are less susceptible than others to natural hazards. Sperling’s Best Places, a data collection company, compiled weather and disaster data for over 300 major US cities.  I was surprised to find that Honolulu, Hawaii was at the top of the list as the safest place to live (in regard to natural disasters).  I thought they experienced frequent hurricanes.

Hawaii can experience hurricanes, but major ones are rare and have caused mainly localized damage with little loss of life. They also have a few brush fires, but in recent years no major ones burning down homes or injuring anyone.   I found it interesting that volcanoes weren’t even mentioned, but it is likely that those who live in the path of eruptions expect them periodically and are prepared to evacuate.

The State of Hawaii is not prone to tornadoes, wind, hail or extreme weather. According to Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), between 1972 and 2000, Hawaii had only 12 major disasters declared. That's relatively low compared to states like Texas, where 51 major disasters were declared in the same period, or California, which had 45.

Boise, Idaho and Santa Fe, New Mexico are relatively safe places to live, as are a few cities in Oregon and Washington State.  Even though natural disasters are less frequent in the Pacific Northwest, those who live there know that their area is not truly secure.  Potential natural hazards in the Norwest include tsunamis, earthquakes and volcano activity.  None of these has happened in recent years, but the possibility is there. 

The least safe places to live tend to be in the South or Coastal areas.  At the very bottom of the list for dramatic weather events is Monroe, Louisiana, where they experience frequent damaging wind and hail.  Dallas, Texas, also has lots of wind and hail and is prone to tornadoes.  Also not a safe place to live is Florida, where they experienced four major hurricanes in the summer of 2004 alone. Jackson, Mississippi, is hit by twisters with some regularity and West Palm/Beach-Boca Raton, Florida, frequently is hit by hurricanes.

Although the topic is controversial, according to many scientists, increased “global warming” will lead to more hurricanes per year, resulting in greater loss of life and property. 

Here are a few safety rankings (based on a study of 331 cities) for other large metropolitan areas.  The lower the number, the safer it is.  Honolulu, Hawaii’s rank is 1.  Washington, D.C., 153; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 246; Monroe, Louisiana, 292; Los Angeles/Long Beach, California, 282; New York, New York, 207; and Chicago, Illinois, 237.

I did no research outside the United States, so I don’t know if there are much safer places to live in other countries.  I now understand better why people continue to rebuild in areas that regularly experience natural disasters.  If they go somewhere else, they will likely just trade one type of catastrophe for another.