{Spending|Investing} her life in Los Angeles, Morgan Andersen {knows|understands} natural {disasters|catastrophes} all too well. In college, an earthquake shook her {home|house} hard. Her {grandfather|grandpa} was {affected|impacted} by {recent|current} wildfires in {neighboring|surrounding} Orange County.
“It’s {just|simply} that {constant|continuous|consistent} {reminder|pointer|tip|suggestion}, ‘Oh yeah, we live {somewhere|someplace} where there’s natural {disasters|catastrophes} and they can strike at any time,'” {said|stated} the 29-year-old marketing executive.
The Federal {Emergency|Emergency Situation} Management {Agency|Company|Firm} {has|has actually} {calculated|determined|computed} the {risk|danger|threat} {for every|for each|for every single} county in America for 18 {types of|kinds of} natural {disasters|catastrophes}, such as earthquakes, {hurricanes|typhoons|cyclones}, {tornadoes|twisters}, floods, volcanoes and even tsunamis. And of the more than 3,000 counties, Los Angeles County has the {highest|greatest} ranking in the National {Risk|Danger|Threat} Index. {New York|New York City} and Philadelphia rank far {higher|greater} on the {risk|danger|threat} for {tornadoes|twisters} than {tornado|twister} {alley|street} stalwarts Oklahoma and Kansas. The {way|method} FEMA {calculates|determines|computes} the index {spotlights|highlights} {places|locations} long {known as|referred to as|called} {danger|risk|threat} {spots|areas}, like Los Angeles, {but|however} some other {places|locations} highlighted run counter to what {most people|many people|the majority of people} would {think|believe}. {{For instance|For example}, eastern cities such as {New York|New york city} and Philadelphia rank far {higher|greater} on the {risk|danger|threat} for {tornadoes|twisters} than {tornado|twister} {alley|street} stalwarts Oklahoma and Kansas.|Eastern cities such as New York and Philadelphia rank far {higher|greater} on the {risk|danger|threat} for {tornadoes|twisters} than {tornado|twister} {alley|street} stalwarts Oklahoma and Kansas.} And the county with the {biggest|most significant|greatest} {coastal|seaside} flood {risk|danger|threat} is one in Washington state that’s not on the ocean, although its river is tidal. Those {seeming|appearing} {oddities|quirks|curiosity} {occur|happen|take place} {because|since|due to the fact that} FEMA’s index {scores|ratings} how {often|frequently|typically} {disasters|catastrophes} strike
, {how many|the number of} {people|individuals} and {how much|just how much} {property|residential or commercial property|home} {are in|remain in} {harm|damage}’s {way|method}, how {vulnerable|susceptible} the population is socially and how well the {area|location} {is able to|has the ability to} {bounce back|recover|recuperate|get better}. {And that|Which} {results in|leads to} a high {risk|danger|threat} {assessment|evaluation} for {big|huge} cities with {lots of|great deals of} {poor|bad} {people|individuals} and {expensive|costly|pricey} {property|residential or commercial property|home} that are ill-prepared to be {hit|struck} by once-in-a-generation {disasters|catastrophes}. While the rankings {may|might} {seem|appear}” {counterintuitive|counterproductive}, “the degree of {risk|danger|threat} isn’t {just|simply} how {often|frequently|typically} {a type of|a kind of} natural {disaster|catastrophe} strikes {a place|a location}, {but|however} how bad the toll would be, according to FEMA’s Mike Grimm. Take {tornadoes|twisters}. {Two|2} {New York|New york city} City counties, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Hudson County, New Jersey, are FEMA’s {top|leading} {five|5} riskiest
counties for {tornadoes|twisters}. Oklahoma County, Oklahoma– with more than 120 {tornadoes|twisters} {since|because|considering that|given that} 1950, {including|consisting of} one that {killed|eliminated} 36 {people|individuals} in 1999– ranks 120th. “They(the {top|leading} {five|5} )are {a low frequency|a radio frequency}, {potentially|possibly} high-consequence {event|occasion} {because|since|due to the fact that} there’s {a lot of|a great deal of} {property|residential or commercial property|home} {exposure|direct exposure} {in that|because} {area|location},”{said|stated} University of South Carolina Hazards & Vulnerability {Research|Research Study} Institute Director Susan Cutter, whose work much of the FEMA {calculations|computations|estimations} are {based on|based upon}. “{Therefore|For that reason}, {a small|a little} {tornado|twister} can & {create|produce|develop} {a large|a big} dollar loss.”In {New York|New york city}, {people|individuals} are far less {aware of|familiar with|knowledgeable about} the {risk|danger|threat} and less {prepared|ready}– {and that|which}’s {a problem|an issue}, Grimm {said|stated}. The day {before|prior to} he {said|stated} that, {New York|New york city} had {a tornado|a twister} watch. Days {later|later on}, the National {Weather|Weather condition} Service tweeted that in 2020 {several|a number of|numerous} cities, {mostly|mainly|primarily} along the East Coast, had more {tornadoes|twisters} than Wichita, Kansas. {New York|New York City} and Philadelphia rank far {higher|greater} on the {risk|danger|threat} for {tornadoes|twisters} than {tornado|twister} {alley|street} stalwarts Oklahoma and Kansas. In {general|basic}, Oklahoma is {twice|two times} as {likely|most likely} to get {tornadoes|twisters} as {New York|New york city} City, {but|however} the damage {potential|capacity}
is much {higher|greater} in {New York|New york city} {because|since|due to the fact that} there are 20 times {the people|individuals} and {nearly|almost} 20 times the {property|residential or commercial property|home} {value|worth} at {risk|danger|threat}, FEMA {officials|authorities} {said|stated}.