Wicked Weather & Deadly Disasters

The Washington Post has mapped out the areas of the United States which have experienced the worst weather related disasters. In Mapping America’s wicked weather and deadly disasters the WaPo has published a series of maps which use historical weather data to show which parts of the country are most prone to tornadoes & hurricanes, floods, extreme heat & cold, wildfires, lightning, and earthquakes & volcanoes.

Most of you are probably already aware of the areas of the country which are most likely to be hit be hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes. These areas are already pretty well known. Hopefully you are also already aware of the local areas around you that are susceptible to flooding. You might not be so aware of the areas nationally which see the most floods (areas around the tributaries of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and 'Flash Flood Valley' in Texas).

Did you know that around 17 million lightning strikes flashed across American skies in 2018? According to the Post's map only a very small percentage of those lit up the skies in the west of the country. On the other hand Florida, in the extreme south east, is America's lightning rod. On average the state witnesses around 1.25 million lightning events every year.

At the end of the Washington Post article are a number of links to related stories on America's extreme weather events. These include stories on the $155 million cost of natural disasters this year and why you should prepare a natural disaster emergency plan.