Safest Places to Live Away From Natural Disasters

Facing a natural disaster can be traumatizing. Fear takes over and, while it can save lives, it can also lead to panic and panic should be avoided, especially through natural disasters when immediate action is necessary. Whether the area where you live is in a hurricane, tsunami, earthquake or flood zone, it’s important to know which acts of God are more common in the area and what to do in case one strikes. Speculators can, however, find a way to benefit from the situation by investing in houses that were affected by acts of God.

Our planet has its own way to correct itself and while these natural disasters can be incredibly violent and damaging, we have to remember that they are acts of God that can not be controlled by men. All the human race can do is try to limit the effects they have on our lives as much as possible 

In America we have our fair share of natural disasters and many people are living in disaster-prone areas. There are ways in which you can escape from natural disasters as well as cities where you can live to avoid natural disasters altogether. Across the world, there are countries with no natural disasters at all or where these catastrophic calamities are so rare that they have little importance. 

Top 3 countries with no natural disasters

There are places on Earth that are free of wildfires, away from any tectonic plates and safe from any hurricanes, tsunamis or volcanic eruptions. All of the following countries are safe because of their location both geographically and geologically. Call it luck per se because it’s not something these countries are doing to make them safer, they just have a better location. Their location makes the following countries the safest places on earth to live.

1.Qatar

As one of the smallest but richest countries in the world, Qatar has been consistently considered the nation with the lowest risk for natural disasters. Being located on a small peninsula in the Persian Gulf, it is protected by any water-related disasters by a strip of land that almost closes the gulf. As it isn’t located near any fault lines there are no earthquakes in Qatar, nor volcanoes. The terrain is mostly barren desert with sand dunes with no chance of wildfires to happen.

2.Malta

Another small country in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, this European country does not worry about hurricanes. While the Mediterranean Sea does get storms and it can get agitated, there has never been a hurricane recorded there and the last tornado was in the 1550s. While Malta does face-off a few storms, no matter how much water pours down, the steep inclination of the island allows for all of it to just wash off into the sea. Even if Malta is located near the European’s tectonic plate, there have been no earthquakes recorded in the last 500 years.

3.Saudi Arabia

Similar to Qatar, in Saudi Arabia, the location seems to save the day as well. The country can also enjoy all the benefits Qatar’s privy to and is rarely affected by severe weather conditions, earthquakes, dust storms or flash floods. As Saudi Arabia is also one of the wealthiest countries on Earth, it has a very well-developed infrastructure that allows it to keep its citizens safe in case of disasters and can bounce back rapidly even after the worst events.

Where to live and not to live to avoid natural disasters?

Running away from natural disasters isn’t always an option. While hurricanes are forecasted and residents of a certain area can take action before the eye of the storm hits populated areas, the other natural disasters give little to no warning in advance of their destruction. Tsunamis, thunderstorms, monsoons and tornados are preceded by horns ringing out throughout cities and warnings on weather stations sometimes only minutes or moments before they hit. The worsts, however, are the earthquakes as they come with no warning. Wherever they happen, the residents have moments to find shelter and hunker down until the threat has passed. Between a hurricane and a tornado however, it is difficult to decide which is the worst.

Throughout America, there are areas that are more affected by natural disasters than others. In these areas, you have to think in advance about insurance claims before you purchase a property. If you live in an area where tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires or hurricanes are seasonal, you should always have in your home a survival kit and information about the closest shelter to your home. It is also important to know if you are looking to relocate, whether the area where you want to move is prone to natural disasters which is why we compiled the following lists.

Most affected areas by natural disasters

Checking a natural disaster map of the United States, you’ll find the three most dangerous natural disasters light up certain areas of the country. Earthquakes focus on the western shore across the San Andreas Faultline as well as in the central east where Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri converge. Hurricanes affect the eastern shore where the Atlantic Ocean connects with the mainland. Tornados have a higher impact on the central-western states while wildfires seasonally hit the forests of California. Taking all this into consideration we’ll try to find which areas are best to be avoided.

1.Texas

As the second-largest state in the country, Texas has had its share of natural disasters. Unfortunately, in Texas, you don’t have to deal with one or two catastrophic natural occurrences. The Lone Star state deals with earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and floods. 

2.California

Being the second most affected state by natural disasters the fact that it is located on the San Andreas Faultline doesn’t help. The whole state of California is more susceptible to earthquakes than other areas throughout the country.

3.Oklahoma

While the geographical location can make an area safe from natural disasters, it can also make areas unsafe. Being located in the “tornado alley” the twisters aren’t the only thing Oklahoma has to deal with. From 2009 there has been a growing number of earthquakes of higher and higher magnitude and frequency.

The worst cities for natural disasters within America are divided between the three states mentioned above and Alabama. Looking at a top ten of these worst cities, California has 7 cities at the top of the list of the most at-risk places to live in America.

Least affected areas by natural disasters

It isn’t particularly easy to find areas across the United States that are unaffected by natural disasters at least to some extent. What is important to mention, however, is that there are regions that are barely affected by natural disasters. Living in the mid-western region will provide a more sheltered natural environment. During 2019, a list was made regarding the safest states in the US giving us insight of where was more protected from natural disasters. The following are the top 3 US states that are the least prone to any kind of natural disasters and we’ll try to figure out why.

1.Michigan

Michigan is considered to be the safest state in the US as it is minimally exposed to earthquakes, tornadoes or hurricanes. This is in part because of its mid-western location as it is away from the coast and, at the same time, there are no major shifts geologically. While there have been some tornadoes and earthquake activities in the past, they have been mild when compared to the other states.

2.Minnesota

As the second mid-western state in the US that comes up on our list, Minnesota is safe from geological disasters for the same reasons as Michigan. Over 30 years of analysis qualifies the state as relatively safe. There has been flooding in the past and in 2011 there has been a tornado that hit the state, but these natural disasters have had a lower severity when compared to other states.

3.Illinois

While it is one of the states located in the central east at the convergence where there is a large earthquake activity, Illinois isn’t as affected by them as its neighboring states. Similarly, there are very few tornadoes, and even fewer chances of tsunamis, hurricanes or other disasters. Lake Michigan also protects Illinois from droughts.

So where should you live to avoid natural disasters? The best city to live in America in regards to the extremely limited natural disasters seems to be Syracuse, N.Y. Seeing as there is very little flooding and no other types of natural disasters risks make it the perfect destination. Other cities that are also considered safe are Akron OH, Buffalo N.Y. or Minneapolis MN.

Conclusion

There are many areas where you can live in order to avoid natural disasters across the state. Regardless of the area where you live or where you choose to move to, it is important to pay attention to any state safety measures that are in place. Keeping taps of these as well as shelters and areas which are safe to go to in case of natural disasters. It is also very important to listen to any state or local warnings issued in case of emergency, have a survival kit and a weather radio. When evacuations start, listen to directions but if you’re unable to evacuate, go to the most resilient room in your home and wait for rescue.

Let us know in the comments section below if you agree with our assessment. Like & Share with your friends and family as everyone wants to avoid natural disasters as much as possible. For more information regarding different cities, their weather and safety ratings you can use The Official Real Estate Agent Directory® to get as much information before you relocate to a new town with your family.

About This Author

Beni Restea Joined: January 15th, 2021