Chart reveals what natural disaster is most likely to kill you in America

http://io9.com/5803268/chart-reveals-what-natural-disaster-is-most-likely-to-kill-you-in-america



A couple of years ago, two geographers created one of the most chilling maps you'll ever see - it shows what kinds of natural hazards are most likely to kill you in America. And which regions are the most deadly.

After poring over statistics compiled between 1970 and 2004, University of South Carolina geographers Kevin A Borden and Susan L Cutter discovered that the midwest is more likely to kill you, and California is the least likely. They also made a chart showing the deadliest kinds of natural hazards.



Even though "severe weather" and winter seem like they'd be the deadliest disasters, it turns out that summer heat and drought are marginally more likely to make corpses.

:snip:

Chronic everyday hazards such as severe weather (summer and winter) and heat account for the majority of natural hazard fatalities. The regions most prone to deaths from natural hazards are the South and intermountain west, but sub-regional county-level mortality patterns show more variability. There is a distinct urban/rural component to the county patterns as well as a coastal trend. Significant clusters of high mortality are in the lower Mississippi Valley, upper Great Plains, and Mountain West, with additional areas in west Texas, and the panhandle of Florida, Significant clusters of low mortality are in the Midwest and urbanized Northeast . . . It is important to view natural hazard mortality through a geographic lens so as to better inform the public living in such hazard prone areas, but more importantly to inform local emergency practitioners who must plan for and respond to disasters in their community.

Killer earthquake that recently devastated Fukashima province.

However, since the same energy-evaluating maps indicate that the California area is inundated with some serious heavy duty tectonic plate tension - with only Japan suffering as much heavy duty plate tension, I would not relax if I lived in LA or SF Bay Area.

My husband and I were in the store the other day, and he was saying we should start having three days worth of food available. Actually, for where we live now that makes sense, but if you live in the SF Bay Area, when the Uber-Big One hits, I am not sure what three days of food put aside will buy you when your entire neighborhood, "earthquake preparation food" included, has been swallowed up.

Could happen next week, next year or fifty years from now, but there is just no telling.

I moved to the SF Bay Area because I feel safer here than I did on the New Madrid.

I am in imminently more danger every time I get on my motorcycle or behind the steering wheel of my car. That's why I drive big cars.

Sonoman

I think it means "Republicans"!

Tesha

Some things that jumped out at me about this map is region IV has a real problem with lightning (I wonder why that is?) and region IX looks like a peace symbol (I thought that was funny).

of North Georgia and our snow storms this winter, I would say those are the biggest dangers right now in the South. And, of course, we also have extreme heat here in the summer months, which could affect those without air conditioning. And I am right now watching the weather person forecasting "beautiful weather" at 89 degrees here in North Georgia this weekend. Beautiful weather! That is not beautiful, it is downright hot!!

fundies?

An argument could be made, I suppose, but... :shrug:

Interesting--especially for the front range and plains.