The 10 Cities Most Safe From Natural Disasters
Even wonder which cities are safest from natural disasters? In its 2008 US City Rankings, SustainLane tackled the question:
From the 2008 SustainLane US City Rankings:
SustainLane examined the 50 largest US cities, assessing natural disaster risk. This ranking was devised with SustainLane primary research as well as with information from Risk Management Solutions. We looked at hurricanes, major flooding, catastrophic hail, tornado super-outbreaks, and earthquakes, taking into consideration potential frequency of disaster as well as the extent of damage.
Natural disasters can have significant environmental and economic impacts on cities, as evidenced by the destruction Katrina caused in New Orleans. SustainLane did not analyze drought in this category, as this natural phenomenon may be mitigated by water importation and conservation. (See: Water Supply.) Urban wildfires were also excluded from this study, as wildfire damage in modern cities typically affects only limited areas — the Oakland, California firestorm of 1991 being one tragic exception.
The cities above were ranked by risk of natural disasters that could change the landscape of a city in a short period of time, affecting most city structures, water and energy supplies, in addition to the widespread loss of life.
So which cities are at least risk for natural disasters?
1. Mesa, AZ
3. Phoenix, AZ
3. Tucson, AZ
3. El Paso, TX
8. Detroit, MI
Tags: real estate | natural disasters
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Reader Comments
Colorado Springs
Springs is a great city, however I am surprised that Albuquerque (my home town) did not make the list.
Colorado Springs
One more reason to live in Colorado Springs. It really is a beautiful city, and now we're safe from natural disasters, too! While we do get our share of lightning and hail in the summer afternoons, the sun always seems to shine through. See http://www.colorado-springs-vacation.com/colorado-springs-weather.html for more on Colorado Springs weather.
Springs, Colorado
We have lived in many places throughout the world, and when we finally decided to settle down for a "quiet" retirement, we choose Colorado Springs. We like the climate and the change of seasons, and even the SNOW!!! Our last home was at 9000 ft above sea level in the Rockies, and though it too was a fairly safe spot, the altitude really slowed us down, and the winters were something to talk about for years to come, with the huge snowfalls that lasted from late August to late May! Though there were 4 seasons, 3 of them were all from June to August and only weeks long at best.
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