Abstract
Beyond cultural ties and economic demands, considerations of the conditions of the natural environment may play a role in determining which U.S. state to reside within. Every year, millions of people suffer from the effects of natural hazards such as avalanches, blizzards, earthquakes, extreme cold, extreme heat, flooding, hurricanes, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and wildfires. The recorded actual occurrence and frequency of these natural hazards, in addition to public perception of the danger of individual natural hazards, shapes an idea of relative concern for these natural hazards. In this study we combine actual hazard occurrence data recorded from 2009-2018, with concern values gathered from an online survey of 1,326 individuals to output “vulnerability” scores for each U.S. State. Ultimately, these values help to answer the question: which U.S. States have the highest vulnerability for natural hazards? The results show that Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Illinois, and Maryland in this order received the highest vulnerability scores.
Recommended Citation
Kannarr, Seth T. and Black, Alan W.
(2024)
"A Geographic Index of Natural Hazard Vulnerability in the United States,"
The Geographical Bulletin: Vol. 65:
Iss.
1, Article 10.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/thegeographicalbulletin/vol65/iss1/10