Due to its sheer size and varied geography, the US experiences several different types of natural hazards. They can range from avalanches and droughts to wildfires and landslides. But many hazards and their impacts are localized to specific parts of the country.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) tracks 18 different natural hazards with its National Risk Index. This animated map uses FEMA’s expected annual loss data to explore how three such hazards affect different parts of the country. For each hazard, you can see expected annual loss at the census tract level, as well as historic natural disaster data for context. The map also identifies some of the most impacted tracts for each hazard.
Expected annual loss represents the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards. It’s influenced by several factors including frequency of hazards and historic losses. Places where natural hazards occur more often have higher expected annual losses.
The map starts with coastal flooding and focuses on the Gulf Coast and the Eastern Seaboard. In addition to expected annual loss from coastal flooding, the map shows the paths of major hurricanes from 1900 to 2022. The most impacted areas (shown in white) have hurricanes pass through or near them. While most impacted tracts are on the coast, tracts further inland (such as those in Florida) are also vulnerable.
The map then pivots to expected annual loss from earthquakes. It also includes earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.0 or greater since 2000. In this view of the continental US, we see impacts along the West Coast. But there are also pockets of vulnerability in the South, including South Carolina. You might also notice more earthquakes in places like Oklahoma and Texas. Despite an uptick in induced earthquakes here, expected losses are lower than other regions with seismic activity.
Volcanic activity is the final hazard. The map isolates the West Coast, Alaska, and Hawaii to show the locations of volcanoes and eruptions since 1990. As you’d expect, most places with the highest expected losses are near volcanoes and along the Ring of Fire. Compared to coastal flooding and earthquakes, expected annual losses from volcanic activity are much lower.
More to Explore
- Dig into FEMA’s interactive National Risk Index map to see cumulative risks across all 18 natural hazards.
- Learn more about FEMA’s National Risk Index.
