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The Upper Midwest doesn't get the large scale types like earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, etc. but up here there's tornados, derechos, ice storms, blizzards, extreme cold, forest fires, and flooding. People often forget that even though blizzards are bad on their own, sometimes really bad, the aftermath can be a lot worse. All that water has to go somewhere, and usually all of the state's snow melt flows straight into the Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, St. Croix and Red Rivers. The flooding in ND and MN can look like a hurricane went through, but it isn't as nationally recognized.
The cold is very deadly! All of those places routinely hit negative temps
Depending upon one's level of tolerance, cold ranges from the mildly annoying to the brutally uncomfortable. However, cold (or even blizzard conditions) is rarely "deadly". In Minneapolis, heat related deaths are more common than those related to cold--although neither is very significant.
When it comes to natural disasters, there are two primary concerns: the number of occurrences and the intensity of those occurrences. Some disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, are far more impactive than others. Tornadoes are much more localized, but also more common.
Cities on the East and Gulf coasts are susceptible to hurricanes. Cities on the West Coast are vulnerable to earth quakes. In the Lower Great Plains states, tornado activity is rampant for a portion of the year. The largest geological fault in the country also runs through the Lower Midwest. When everything is factored-in, the safest cities are likely those in the Great Lakes Region and The Upper Midwest. These cities aren't generally on flood planes, have no hurricanes, a low risk for earthquakes, and relatively infrequent tornadic activity. I would suggest that Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh are the safest major cities in regards to natural disasters.
A large real estate company here has a dedicated page noting FEMA disaster areas (with a map) - I've never seen a real estate company advertise an area that is safe from natural disasters.
The "safe" areas of the US (according to the above map) include: eastern GA, northern SC, upper MI, western KS, NV, UT, and WY.
As an aside, I moved from central AL (Birmingham - a notorious tornadic hotspot) to the Upstate of SC in early 2000's - now, I can't recall the last time my weather radio has gone off!
The cold is very deadly! All of those places routinely hit negative temps
Routinely? Do you mean below freezing? or are you talking in Celsius? Metro Detroit only sees below zero temps (fahrenheit) a handful of times per winter.
Routinely? Do you mean below freezing? or are you talking in Celsius? Metro Detroit only sees below zero temps (fahrenheit) a handful of times per winter.
I agree. Besides some snow storms, which we are largely prepared for, we don't get much in Upstate NY. Even this hurricane just brought about rain in the area I live in. Some parts of Upstate NY might get some flooding on occasion, like the Southern Tier, which is full of hills and valleys, but that's pretty much it.
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Do you mean below freezing? or are you talking in Celsius? Metro Detroit only sees below zero temps (fahrenheit) a handful of times per winter.
