Report: 90% of counties in US experienced at least 1 disaster in past decade
A report by Rebuild by Design found that California had the highest number of disasters from 2011-2021, while Nevada had the fewest.
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Nearly every county in the U.S. has experienced a disaster within the past decade, according to a report released Tuesday.
Rebuild by Design, a think tank aimed at helping communities plan for future disasters, partnered with data and risk assessment companies for its "Atlas of Disaster." The report looked at the number of federally declared disasters in each state between 2011 and 2021, and related metrics such as federal assistance allocations, social vulnerability, energy reliability and compounding risks.
Remnants of vacation houses, called fish camps, stand in the wake of Hurricane Ida on September 4, 2021 in Grand Isle, Louisiana. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
According to the report, the median number of disasters in the U.S. during the decade is 11.5, with 90% of counties in the nation having experienced at least one disaster. California has been the site of the most disasters, with 25. Nevada has had the fewest disasters, with three. Five counties in Louisiana and Kentucky have had up to 12 disasters.
Number of federally-declared disasters by county. (Rebuild by Design "Atlas of Disaster" report / FOX Weather)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have spent about $91 billion in post-disaster assistance within the past decade, according to the report. New York, Texas and Florida have received the highest total of post-disaster federal funding. Louisiana has the highest per capita cost of federally declared disasters in the country at $1,736, and Arizona has the lowest at $3.
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FEMA public assistance and hazard mitigation funding by county. (Rebuild by Design "Atlas of Disaster" report / FOX Weather)
Long-duration power outages of 4 hours or more appeared to be common during the past decade, with a large swath of counties across the South, from Texas to Georgia having had power outages that have lasted 7.5 hours or more, according to the report. Iowa, Michigan and several spots across the Northeast have also had long-duration power outages.
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Aggregated annual electric outage duration by county. (Rebuild by Design "Atlas of Disaster" report / FOX Weather)
The report's authors recommended the U.S. create a national resiliency strategy that uses climate information on future risks to ensure projects and policies are being developed with those risks in mind. They also recommended the government amend disaster law, which concentrates on property loss, to include all aspects of loss during a disaster, such as death, health and loss of livelihood.
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The next decade has already seen its share of disasters. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there have been 15 billion-dollar disasters in the U.S. in 2022. The report from October included hurricanes Ian and Fiona. Hurricane Nicole ravaged Florida when it made landfall last week, but the financial impact of the storm is not yet clear.