Is California one of the riskiest states for natural disasters? Yes, it ranks third in the nation, behind only Florida and Hawaii, according to a new analysis of wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and other disasters weighted against population and land size. Louisiana and Tennessee round out the top five.
The data breaks down risk in a few ways. California ranks 9th for frequency of federal disaster declarations per square mile, but much lower, 41st, for major storms specifically. Where California stands out is cost: the state ranks 9th highest for disaster costs per person, 5th for cost per storm, and 4th highest for insurance losses per person, a key driver behind rising home insurance premiums statewide.
For context, the safest states include Alaska, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Wisconsin. Nationally, about one-third of Americans live in the 10 highest-risk states, so this isn't just a California issue.
What This Means for Your Home and Insurance Costs
I'm Zied Bejaui, a local Newport Beach and Orange County real estate agent. If you have questions about how disaster risk or insurance costs could affect your home's value or your next move, I'm here to help.
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