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I created a list of safest places to live to be safe in the future if you still want to live in a medium to large metropolitan area.
The following is based on my independent research. I gave a number to each factor based on my personal judgement of what I consider the most dangerous disasters to the less dangerous. Then added up the numbers and came up with the following list. It is preliminary since I plan to add a couple more factors in the future. Also the location you choose to live in the metropolitan area can make a difference on safety due to microclimate and distance from danger areas.
Top 25 safest Metropolitan Areas Ranked from natural disasters, extreme weather, climate change and other disasters over 500,000 in population in the US based on the following factors...
Earthquakes
Hurricanes
Wildfires
Hail
Tornado
Tsunami
Distance to nuclear power plant
High Winds
River Flooding
Floods
Coastal flooding
Air pollution
Water shortage risk
Ice storm
Large Tall Dams
Droughts
Blizzards or Heavy snow storms
High annual snowfall
Below sea level if polar ice melts
Lighting frequency
Volcanic activity
Number of days over 100 degrees Fahrenheit
Number of days below zero Fahrenheit
1) Grand Rapids, MI
2) Madison, Wisconsin
3) Allentown, PA
4) Buffalo, NY
5) Milwaukee, Wisconsin
6) Syracuse, NY
7) Poughkeepsie, NY
8) Dayton, Ohio
9) Youngstown, Ohio
10) Washington DC
11) Toledo, Ohio
12) Columbus, Ohio
13) Albany, NY
14) Chicago, IL
15) Lexington, KY
16) Des Moines, Iowa
17) Kansas City, MO
18) El Paso, Texas
19) Worcester, Massachusetts
20) Asheville, NC
21) Cincinnati, Ohio
22) Detroit, MI
23) Louisville, KY
24) Rochester, NY
25) Lancaster, Pennsylvania
I did a little more research here is the revised list.
Top 30 safest Metropolitan Areas Ranked from natural disasters, extreme weather, climate change and other disasters over 500,000 in population in the US based on the following factors...
Earthquakes
Hurricanes
Wildfires
Hail
Tornado
Tsunami
Distance to nuclear power plant
High Winds
River Flooding
Floods
Coastal flooding
Air pollution
Water shortage risk
Ice storm
Large Tall Dams
Droughts
Blizzards or Heavy snow storms
High annual snowfall
Below sea level if polar ice melts
Lighting frequency
Volcanic activity
Number of days over 100 degrees Fahrenheit
Number of days below zero Fahrenheit
1) Grand Rapids, MI
2) Madison, Wisconsin
3) Allentown, PA
4) Buffalo, NY
5) Milwaukee, Wisconsin
6) Syracuse, NY
7) Poughkeepsie, NY
8) Dayton, Ohio
9) Youngstown, Ohio
10) Toledo, Ohio
11) Columbus, Ohio
12) Albany, NY
13) Chicago, IL
14) Lexington, KY
15) Des Moines, Iowa
16) Kansas City, MO
17) Indianapolis, Indiana
18) Worcester, Massachusetts
19) Asheville, NC
20) Cincinnati, Ohio
21) Detroit, MI
22) Louisville, KY
23) Washington DC
24) Rochester, NY
25) Lancaster, Pennsylvania
26) Cleveland, Ohio
27) Springfield, Massachusetts
28) Pittsburgh, PA
29) Lansing, Michigan
30) Boise, ID
Regarding the first and second places on your list:
I’ve read (I don’t remember where) that the Upper Midwest will be a climate change refuge in the coming years. We’re not in Tornado Alley, though we do get them, and the risks of flooding and wildfires are minimal. And no hurricanes, ever ☺ï¸
Cold weather sissies will just have to get over it and adapt. We’re not as cold as Quebec City, after all.
If you factor in food production and crime, none of these places would be in the top 1,000!
"safest Metropolitan Areas" = No such thang.
It's a relative term.
It's like asking which pepper will burn the least.
Ghost
Trinidad scorpion
Carolina reaper
Dragons breath
They all suck and will all mess you up.
Some urban or metropolitan areas can be tenable for like the easier 50% of scenarios but for the worst case forget about it they are a death trap. The way things are going and society continuing a slow incremental degradation I want no part of being in a city.
I created a list of safest places to live to be safe in the future if you still want to live in a medium to large metropolitan area.....
Ineresting topic. You may want to run this past the members on the Self-sufficiency & Preparedness board here at C-D.
The general rule is that one can live for 2 minutes without air, 2 days without water and 2 weeks without food. ...We survivalists usually make water availabilty and food production our top priorities...and for a long term SHTF situation, you not only have to be able to produce food, but also be able to defend it.
As mentioned above, a "safe, urban area" is an oxymoron. If things really collapse, you want to be located more than a tankfull of gas away from an urban center.
The events that are related to weather and climate are usually short term disasters-- storms, floods, heat waves & cold spells. Prevention is better than treatment. Don't build on flood plains or too close to the shore. Build with good insulation, and have a source of heat that doesn't rely on delivered fuel. Keep at least a small amount of bottled water and preserved food on hand....
...and, keep in mind that Noah didn't try to save everybody.
thats 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food, but of course some people might be plus or minus these figures.
in a collapse the last place you want to be is a city or large urban area, the less people there are the safer you will be.
Here is my methodology and updated list based on my newest research.
Top 37 safest Metropolitan Areas Ranked from natural disasters, extreme weather, climate change and other disasters over 500,000 in population in the US based on the following factors...
High risk
ADD
Earthquake 60
Hurricanes 60
Under 10 miles to nuclear power plant 50
Under 20 miles to nuclear power plant 41
Wildfires 38
Hail 37
Tornadoes 36
Tsunami 35
Under 30 miles to nuclear power plant 34
Under 40 miles to nuclear power plant 33
Under 50 miles to nuclear power plant 32
Wind storm 31
Flooding 29
Coastal flood 28
Air pollution 27
Water shortages 25
Power outages and rolling blackouts 25
Ice storm 24
Large tall Dam 23
Sinkhole 22
Drought 21
Blizzard or Heavy snowfall 20
Major target in a nuclear war 20
Water supply contamination from nuclear meltdown 20
High annual snowfall which greater than 28 inches 19
Below sea level if all polar ice melts 18
Lighting storm 17
Under 100 miles to nuclear power plant 16
Volcanic activity 15
River Flooding 15
Very little Snowfall can shut down whole city 10
Likelihood of refugees fleeing here from a major city after disasters 10
Number of average days over 100 degrees Fahrenheit every year
Number of average days below Zero degrees Fahrenheit every year
Moderate risk
ADD
Earthquake 20
Hurricanes 19
Wildfires 18
Hail 17
Tornadoes 16
Tsunami 18
Wind storm 10
Flooding 8
Coastal flood 7
Air pollution 6
Water shortages 4
Ice storm 3
Large tall Dam 2
Sinkhole 1
Drought 5
Blizzard or Heavy snowfall 10
High annual snowfall which greater than 28 inches 9
Lighting storm 7
Low Risk
ADD
Hurricanes 10
Wildfires 10
Tornadoes 8
Tsunami 7
Positive factors
SUBTRACT
Climate Haven -20
Almost unlimited water supply -20
Multiple drinking water sources -10
1) Madison, Wisconsin
2) Allentown, Pennsylvania
3) Dayton, Ohio
4) Akron, Ohio
5) Youngstown,Ohio
6) Columbus, Ohio
7) Grand Rapids, Michigan
8) Syracuse, New York
9) Poughkeepsie, New York
10) Lexington, Kentucky
11) Indianapolis, Indiana
12) Toledo, Ohio
13) Buffalo, New York
14) Albany, New York
15) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
16) Lansing, Michigan
17) Milwaukee, Wisconsin
18) Detroit, Michigan
19) Dew Monies, Iowa
20) Kansas City, Missouri
21) Rochester, New York
22) Scranton, Pennsylvania
23) Boise, Idaho
24) Asheville, North Carolina
25) Chicago, Illinois
26) Cinnanati, Ohio
27) Louisville, Kentucky
28) Washington DC
29) Lancaster, Pennsylvania
30) Cleveland, Ohio
31) Reno, Nevada
32) Huntsville,Alabama
33) Fayetteville, Arkansas
34) Spokane, Washington
35) Nashville, Tennessee
36) Springfield, Mass
37) Denver, Colorado
I'll break down the cities when I get a chance.
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