If Up to You, Would You Live in Natural Disaster Prone Area?

[kyphysics]

Florida hurricanes...Oklahoma tornados...These are two areas I never want to live no matter the salary (okay, for $500,000 or more, sure...I'm there!).

I have to imagine it sucks having having your house flooded/blown down every three or so years. Not to mention your loved ones possibly dying in the midst of it.

 

[phinds]

Personally, I wouldn't consider it but there are people whose families have been in a particular area for generations, they grew up there, all there friends are there, and on and on.

 

[JT Smith]

It is up to me. Why isn't it up to you?

 

[phinds]

It is up to me. Why isn't it up to you?

Of course it's a matter of personal choice, but what does that have to do with anything? See post #2 for example.

 

[Hornbein]

I lived in earthquake prone California, Tokyo, and Bali, which also has an active volcano. Recently many were evacuated to camps for months but nothing happened.

 

[topsquark]

I live near Myrtle Beach, SC and couldn't get to this thread last night because Ian knocked out our power and internet. :)

Of course, I volunteer with the Red Cross, so bad stuff doesn't bother me so much because I get to help out afterward.

-Dan

 

[fresh_42]

You cannot move several million people from Houston, over New Orleans down to Miami to Montana. And even if, what about Yellowstone? Better move to Europe. Wait, what about the Phlegraean Fields?

I think such a debate only makes sense in its broader version. How many people on Earth live in vulnerable areas (volcanos, coastlines, tectonic fault lines, hazardous weather phenomena)? 80%? More? There are good reasons for many to take the risks: agriculture, trade, and big cities.

 

[kyphysics]

Feel better for the elderly in Florida, though. Many retirees there, who may not be very mobile.

 

[JT Smith]

Ironically many live in mobile homes.

 

[phinds]

Ironically many live in mobile homes.

Fairly irrelevant since mobile homes are generally not really treated as mobile once they're in place.

 

[kyphysics]

Feel better for the elderly in Florida, though. Many retirees there, who may not be very mobile.

OMG...that should have read "bad"! . . .can't believe I typo'd that.

 

[berkeman]

Of course, I volunteer with the Red Cross, so bad stuff doesn't bother me so much because I get to help out afterward.

Thank you for your service.

 

[berkeman]

It is up to me. Why isn't it up to you?

Fair question. I work in high-tech as an EE in R&D, so one of the main epicenters of employment (pardon the pun) is Silicon Valley. The Hayward Fault runs north-south on the east side of Silicon Valley (where the water lines come down out of the hills). The predicted 7.0 earthquake is overdue by a decade or so, so we do lots of emergency preparedness drills here.

Based on my experiences in those drills with local FD and EMS, I learned a lot about the various things that affect the magnitude of the damage from earthquakes around here (like liquifaction down near the Bay and less severe shaking and damage in the areas that are on bedrock). My wife and I recently made it a point to move from a very high risk area to a nearby region that still keeps me close to Silicon Valley for my work, but puts us on top of bedrock for the next shaker. It will still be ugly when it hits.

 

[Hornbein]

Fair question. I work in high-tech as an EE in R&D, so one of the main epicenters of employment (pardon the pun) is Silicon Valley. The Hayward Fault runs north-south on the east side of Silicon Valley (where the water lines come down out of the hills). The predicted 7.0 earthquake is overdue by a decade or so, so we do lots of emergency preparedness drills here.

Based on my experiences in those drills with local FD and EMS, I learned a lot about the various things that affect the magnitude of the damage from earthquakes around here (like liquifaction down near the Bay and less severe shaking and damage in the areas that are on bedrock). My wife and I recently made it a point to move from a very high risk area to a nearby region that still keeps me close to Silicon Valley for my work, but puts us on top of bedrock for the next shaker. It will still be ugly when it hits.

Yes, I worried about it when I lived there. I lived in Santa Cruz, that had many buildings destroyed. The ones that replaced them were ugly. Too bad.

Tokyo used to have a catastrophe about once a generation. Flood, volcano, war, pestilence, fire. If you were unlucky you might experience three in a lifetime. It was nevertheless the world's most populated city.

 

[pinball1970]

Florida hurricanes...Oklahoma tornados...These are two areas I never want to live no matter the salary (okay, for $500,000 or more, sure...I'm there!).

I have to imagine it sucks having having your house flooded/blown down every three or so years. Not to mention your loved ones possibly dying in the midst of it.

Under no circumstances. What is the point of a high salary if the fruits of your hard work blow away in front of your eyes? With your kids in it?
The worst we get in the UK are floods and I can understand why the generational thing keeps people in higher risk areas and some of them are very beautiful, York for instance.

 

[fresh_42]

The worst we get in the UK are floods and ...

Haggis.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Let's see whether I get this right for the US:

• East and Gulf coasts of the US. Can't live there because of hurricanes.
• West of the Rockies - can't live there because of earthquakes,.
• Midwest - earthquakes again: the New Madrid fault.
• Upper Midwest: Blizzards and Floods.
• Hawaii - Volcanoes.
• West Texas: Rednecks

What is left?

 

[fresh_42]

Let's see whether I get this right for the US:

• East and Gulf coasts of the US. Can't live there because of hurricanes.
• West of the Rockies - can't live there because of earthquakes,.
• Midwest - earthquakes again: the New Madrid fault.
• Upper Midwest: Blizzards and Floods.
• Hawaii - Volcanoes.
• West Texas: Rednecks

What is left?

NM.

 

[topsquark]

Let's see whether I get this right for the US:

• East and Gulf coasts of the US. Can't live there because of hurricanes.
• West of the Rockies - can't live there because of earthquakes,.
• Midwest - earthquakes again: the New Madrid fault.
• Upper Midwest: Blizzards and Floods.
• Hawaii - Volcanoes.
• West Texas: Rednecks

What is left?

Hey! I take offense to that. I come from a long line of distinguished rednecks and we come from PA.

And you forgot about the North East. They have art festivals and antique shops. Very dangerous!

-Dan

 

[Vanadium 50]

NM.

Scorpions.

Tropical Storm Norma also killed a bunch of people there, although truth be told, they weren't really prepared for that.

And you forgot about the North East.

Invasive Canadians.

1938 New England Hurricane. Again, the populace was relatively unprepared for a storm of that intensity that far north.

 

[pinball1970]

NM.

I found the datum that would be the put off/national disaster.

"ranks last in overall performance and quality, with some of the highest dropout rates and lowest math and reading scores."

 

[Algr]

Let's see whether I get this right for the US:

• East and Gulf coasts of the US. Can't live there because of hurricanes.
• West of the Rockies - can't live there because of earthquakes,.
• Midwest - earthquakes again: the New Madrid fault.
• Upper Midwest: Blizzards and Floods.
• Hawaii - Volcanoes.
• West Texas: Rednecks

What is left?

Tornados, supervolcanoes, nuclear waste, meteor strikes, genetically modified spiders, plague, and politics.

 

[jrmichler]

Upper Midwest: Blizzards

Blizzards a natural disaster? Nonsense - blizzards are an excuse to take a day off of work. Or not do something you did not want to do anyway. Or go play in the snow.

 

[Anachronist]

Florida hurricanes...Oklahoma tornados...These are two areas I never want to live no matter the salary (okay, for $500,000 or more, sure...I'm there!).

You forgot earthquakes in California, the potential volcanos waking up in Washington and Oregon, and the whole "tornado alley" (not just Oklahoma).

Practically the whole United States has disasters nowadays due to climate change. Extreme heat in the midwest. Wildfires in the west. Brutal winters that have never before been seen. Widespread flooding. Uninhabitable zones forming on the planet.

COVID-19 was a godsend in a sense, because it changed the business culture to accept more remote work (for jobs that don't involve service, tourism, construction, etc.), freeing up people to live somewhere else and still work.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Practically the whole United States has disasters nowadays due to climate change

How do you blame earthquakes on climate change? And for that matter, pre-20th century disasters.

It's better to look at the data without dragging climate change into it.

 

[JT Smith]

Fairly irrelevant since mobile homes are generally not really treated as mobile once they're in place.

It was a joke.

 

[JT Smith]

The OP question is not very well phrased. What does natural disaster prone mean? I live where there is a constant threat of a devastating earthquake. But while it may come today it also may not come in my lifetime. So is this area prone to natural disasters? Big hurricanes happen more frequently but how often do they blow and wash away your particular town?

All that said there are places where it's obvious that you're taking a risk. But there are lots of other places where the risk is harder to calculate. Whether or not "you" would live there is complicated. There are always many tradeoffs in deciding where you will live.

I live where I do because it's where my sweetheart was living when I got to know her. The reason I moved to this general area in the first place was employment. I'll bet those two things, family and jobs, account for the vast majority of decisions about where we live.

 

[topsquark]

How do you blame earthquakes on climate change? And for that matter, pre-20th century disasters.

It's better to look at the data without dragging climate change into it.

Bill Nye once got asked (by a CNN reporter!) the question "Is global warming the reason the asteroid is coming this way?"

Why not climate change and earthquakes? :)

-Dan

 

[Anachronist]

How do you blame earthquakes on climate change? And for that matter, pre-20th century disasters.

It's better to look at the data without dragging climate change into it.

I did not, as should be abundantly clear if you read my post without selectively quoting it. The earthquakes were in a different paragraph. The climate change related disasters were in a separate paragraph.

My point still stands, that climate change has increased the geographic area in which disasters occur, such as floods, fires, extreme heat, and extreme cold. As you said, look at the data and you have no choice about "dragging climate change into it."

 

[berkeman]

What does natural disaster prone mean?

I think one measure may be to see what types of homeowner insurance policies are available and not available (or extra expensive) in certain areas and sub-areas. It's probably pretty hard to get flood insurance in flood zones, and earthquake insurance in liquifaction zones in earthquake country, etc.

https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/...at-disasters-does-homeowners-insurance-cover/

A homeowners insurance policy typically covers natural disasters caused by explosion, fire, lightning, hail, windstorm, hurricanes, tornadoes, extreme cold, volcanoes and theft. Homeowners insurance usually does not cover earthquakes, floods, tsunamis or nuclear disasters.

Before a natural disaster occurs, it is essential to know what is covered and not covered by your homeowners insurance as there are several policy types available. Learn more about what is covered by homeowners insurance, what is not and what to do if you have experienced a natural disaster.

 

[dlgoff]

Here in Kansas, tornados are possible so I put in a storm shelter:

see: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/my-storm-shelter.995953/

 

[JT Smith]

I think one measure may be to see what types of homeowner insurance policies are available and not available (or extra expensive) in certain areas and sub-areas. It's probably pretty hard to get flood insurance in flood zones, and earthquake insurance in liquifaction zones in earthquake country, etc.

https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/...at-disasters-does-homeowners-insurance-cover/

That's not a bad idea. I was hoping for a list of cities or a map or something.

I did find this: US Natural Hazards Index

 

[Vanadium 50]

Here in Kansas, tornados are possible

Make sure your hose doesn't land on anybody!

...and your little dog too!

 

[fresh_42]

That's not a bad idea. I was hoping for a list of cities or a map or something.

I did find this: US Natural Hazards Index

View attachment 314978

I told you NM. But what the heck happened there in the Zuni reservation?

 

[berkeman]

Make sure your hose doesn't land on anybody!

Or your horse! Or heaven forbid your house!