Maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can now show you whether the area you live in is at high risk from natural disasters and hazards.
Created after U.S President Joe Biden signed the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act into law in December 2022, a series of maps show areas that are "most at risk from the effects of natural hazards and climate change," according to FEMA. They also serve as a "geographic focus for financial and technical assistance" from federal funding agencies.
The National Risk Index Counties map shows the counties across all 50 states at biggest risk from a variety of natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, wildfires, geological hazards such as avalanches and landslides, and extreme winter weather.
Areas are rated on a scale from "very high," marked in red, to "very low," marked in deep blue. Orange areas indicate "relatively high risk," while yellow areas are relatively moderate risk, and teal areas are deemed to be at "relatively low risk."
Each county is shown and rated for its vulnerability to both environmental risks and social factors like lower incomes, language barriers and transportation challenges.
California comes out on top for having the most high and relatively high-risk counties in the U.S., with eight areas in the highest risk category, more than any other state, and 18 relatively high-risk zones. But there are other areas with a high number of at-risk counties. Florida, with four high-risk areas and 19 relatively high-risk areas; currently, with the exception of areas around Miami, there are no red areas on the east coast.
In Texas, Houston is a red zone, along with 16 other areas that are orange in colour. Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, all of which can experience hurricanes during the summer, have a combined 18 areas that are at relatively high risk. Elsewhere, the northeastern states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have 13 high risk areas between them.
Most of the red and orange areas are located close to the U.S. coast—though there are some outliers. Utah County and Salt Lake County in Utah, Lubbock County in Texas, as well as Douglas County in Nebraska are all rated as being at relatively high risk, among a small number of other inland areas.
Another category, "community disaster resilience zones," identifies areas FEMA considers to be disadvantaged. In the event of a disaster, FEMA would prioritize these areas for federal funding to lower the risk and impact of natural hazards.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said in a statement shared with the Williamsburg Yorktown Daily: "These designations will help ensure that the most at-risk communities are able to build resilience against natural hazards and extreme weather events, which are becoming increasingly intense and frequent due to climate change."
Newsweek contacted FEMA via email for comment.
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