//Georgia ranks in top five states for most disaster-prone
In Other NewsDecember 4, 2024

Georgia ranks in top five states for most disaster-prone

Share with friends

IN OTHER NEWS – A new report from Forbes Advisor finds that Georgia ranks in the top 5 states most natural disaster-prone state.

Release:

From hurricanes to tornadoes, natural disasters are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity.

According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, over the past five years, the U.S. has experienced an average of 20.4 climate disasters each year that caused over one billion dollars worth of damage. This is up from 6.7 per year in the early 2000s.

In 2023 alone, the country faced 28 climate disasters that caused $95.1 billion in damage and resulted in 492 fatalities.

In some states, Americans are more likely to face devastating and costly weather events. To determine which states are most vulnerable to natural disasters, Forbes Advisor compared all 50 states across four key metrics.

Key Takeaways

  • Louisiana tops the list of the most disaster-prone states, while Delaware is the least susceptible to natural disasters.
  • Nine of the top 10 most disaster-prone states are in the South: Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and South Carolina.
  • Five of the top 10 states with the fewest natural disasters are in the Northeast: Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Maine and Massachusetts.
  • Texas had the highest number of billion-dollar climate disasters between 2014 and 2023 (90) and Arkansas has the highest number of people displaced due to a natural disaster per 100,00 residents (911.41).

Top 10 Most Disaster-Prone States

  1. Louisiana Score: 100 out of 100
    • Louisiana has the third-highest average homeowners insurance premium ($3,604 annually).
    • The Pelican State also has the fifth-highest number of people displaced due to a natural disaster per 100,000 residents (551.2).
    • Additionally, the state had the ninth-highest number of FEMA disaster declarations between January 1, 2014 and January 1, 2023 (30) and the 13th-highest number of billion-dollar climate disasters between 2014 and 2023 (41).
  2. Texas Score: 97.55 out of 100
    • Texas had the highest number of billion-dollar climate disasters between 2014 and 2023 (90).
    • The Lone Star State also had the sixth-highest number of FEMA disaster declarations between January 1, 2014 and January 1, 2023 (36).
    • Texas ranks ninth-highest for the average homeowners insurance premium ($2,226 annually).
  3. Oklahoma Score: 94.29 out of 100
    • Oklahoma has the highest average homeowners insurance premium ($4,024 annually).
    • The Sooner State had the fourth-highest number of FEMA disaster declarations between January 1, 2014 and January 1, 2023 (50).
    • It also had the eighth-highest number of billion-dollar climate disasters between 2014 and 2023 (48).
  4. Florida Score: 88.09 out of 100
    • Florida had the fifth-highest number of FEMA disaster declarations between January 1, 2014 and January 1, 2023 (39).
    • The Sunshine State ranks seventh-highest for the number of people displaced due to a natural disaster per 100,000 residents (463.1).
    • Additionally, the state has the14th-highest average homeowners insurance premium ($2,026 annually).
  5. Georgia Score: 87.77 out of 100
    • Georgia had the second-highest number of billion-dollar climate disasters between 2014 and 2023 (60).
    • The Peach State also has the 10th-highest number of people displaced due to a natural disaster per 100,000 residents (437.94).
  6. Arkansas Score: 87.11 out of 100
    • Arkansas has the highest number of people displaced due to a natural disaster per 100,000 residents (911.41).
    • The Natural State has the fourth-highest average homeowners insurance premium ($3,055 annually).
    • The state also had the 13th-highest number of billion-dollar climate disasters between 2014 and 2023 (41).
  7. Tennessee Score: 86.30 out of 100
    • Tennessee had the seventh-highest number of billion-dollar climate disasters between 2014 and 2023 (51).
    • The Volunteer State has the 13th-highest number of people displaced due to a natural disaster per 100,000 residents (357.54).
    • It also had the 15th-highest number of FEMA disaster declarations between January 1, 2014 and January 1, 2023 (23).
  8. Mississippi Score: 85.15 out of 100
    • Mississippi has the eighth-highest average homeowners insurance premium ($2,501 annually).
    • The Magnolia State had the 11th-highest number of FEMA disaster declarations between January 1, 2014 and January 1, 2023 (27).
    • It also had the13th-highest number of billion-dollar climate disasters between 2014 and 2023 (41).
  9. Kansas Score: 80.42 out of 100
    • Kansas has the sixth-highest average homeowners insurance premium ($2,759 annually).
    • The state ranks 12th-highest for the number of billion-dollar climate disasters between 2014 and 2023 (42).
    • It also had the 12th-highest number of FEMA disaster declarations between January 1, 2014 and Jan 1, 2023 (26).
  10. South Carolina Score: 77.98 out of 100
    • South Carolina has the eighth-highest number of people displaced due to a natural disaster per 100,000 residents (462.41).
    • The state also had the 11th-highest number of billion-dollar climate disasters between 2014 and 2023 (46).

Methodology

  • To determine which states are most vulnerable to natural disasters, Forbes Advisor compared all 50 states across the following four metrics:
  • Number of billion-dollar climate disasters in the past decade (2014-2023): 30% of score.
    Data comes from the National Centers for Environmental Information.
  • Number of people displaced due to a natural disaster per 100,000 residents: 30% of score.
    Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey. Data was collected between February 6 and March 4, 2024.
  • Number of FEMA disaster declarations in the past decade (Jan 1, 2014 – Jan 1, 2023): 25% of score. Data comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2024.
  • Average homeowners insurance premium: 15% of score. This metric reflects the average annual cost of home insurance for a property with $350,000 in dwelling coverage and a $500 deductible. Data comes from Quadrant Information Services, 2024.

State population data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2023.

Resources
The complete data set (including data for all 50 states) can be found here.

TAGS:

Related posts