Which U.S. counties are most likely to be impacted by hurricanes?
With a hectic hurricane season forecasted for this summer, LawnStarter ranked 2024’s Most Hurricane-Vulnerable Counties.
We considered hurricane risk assessments and anticipated financial loss from hurricanes according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). We also included the past 10 years of historical storm data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and access to national disaster debris recovery facilities.
See where over 300 U.S. counties ranked below. To learn how we ranked the counties, see our methodology.
Contents
- County Rankings
- Top 5 Close Up
- Key Insights
- Ask the Experts
- Methodology
- Final Thoughts: Weathering the Storm
County Rankings
See how each county fared in our ranking:
Top 5 Close Up
Check out the slideshow below for a closer look at each of our 5 most vulnerable counties.
Key Insights
Florida and South Carolina account for half of the 100 most hurricane-vulnerable counties.
Harris County, Texas (No. 15), home to Houston, has the highest Hurricane Risk and Expected Annual Loss from Hurricanes — over $1.15 billion, according to FEMA. However, the county ranks behind 277 counties for the overall number of hurricanes — with 4 total — over the past 10 years. The Houston region has a high susceptibility to flood damage and saw record levels of rainfall during Hurricane Harvey.
All counties in our ranking have some risk of hurricanes and their effects, like flooding. Of these counties, those with the lowest risk of being impacted include Kennebec County, Maine (No. 315), which scored near the bottom alongside Texas counties DeWitt (No. 316) and Bexar, home to San Antonio, in last place.
Discover more storm stats below.
Ask The Experts
Hurricanes are the deadliest and most expensive natural disasters in the U.S., responsible for over $1.3 trillion in damages and 6,890 deaths since 1980.
We turned to a panel of experts for advice on preparing for a hurricane and dealing with its aftermath. Read their thoughts below.
- Who is most at risk for financial and emotional distress from hurricanes?
- What are the 3 best resources for disaster relief?
- What are the top 3 ways to prepare for a severe hurricane?
- What are the 3 best ways to help those who were affected by a hurricane?
- How can local governments best prepare for increasingly intensifying hurricanes in the U.S.?
Joel Cline
Tropical Program Coordinator at Noaa National Weather Service
Jill C. Trepanier, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, and Geography and Anthropology
Gregory S. Jenkins
Professor of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science, Geography, and African Studies
Pennsylvania State University
Gregory S. Jenkins
Professor of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science, Geography, and African Studies
Pennsylvania State University
Who is most at risk for financial and emotional distress from hurricanes?
Those who are living in poverty or are in lower income brackets [are most at risk] because the cost of evacuating and any recovery cost makes these communities highly vulnerable.
Resilience is extremely difficult for these communities. Black and Hispanic communities have a higher risk because of historical policies and practices.
What are the three best resources for disaster relief?
1. FEMA — Federal Emergency Management Agency
2. Red Cross
3. Local organizations and nonprofits
What are the top three ways to prepare for a severe hurricane?
- If it is severe, you should evacuate. However, the key is to know beforehand where valuables are kept in the event of evacuation.
- Keep phone contacts and other important documents in a ziplock bag in the event of flooding.
- Have a hurricane plan in place now.
What are the three best ways to help those who were affected by a hurricane?
- Determine their emotional, physical, and mental needs — and if they know where family members are located.
- Help them to get through the short-term stress and shock from the loss of property and life.
- Help them to find resources to address immediate and short-term needs.
How can local governments best prepare for increasingly intensifying hurricanes in the U.S.?
- Message the community about the power, typical damage of hurricanes, and why evacuation is required.
- Help them to prepare hurricane kits and identify important documents.
- Provide some guidance about how to evacuate and the needed resources for evacuation.
Joel Cline
Tropical Program Coordinator at Noaa National Weather Service
NOAA National Weather Service
Joel Cline
Tropical Program Coordinator at Noaa National Weather Service
NOAA National Weather Service
What are the top three ways to prepare for a severe hurricane?
I would begin with the basics:
1. Know if you are in an evacuation zone and have a route planned along with keeping all your important documents together to take with you or keep in a safe place that will not be underwater in your house.
2. Have supplies, food, water, and medications on hand to last several days to two weeks without power. This includes taking care of animals as well.
3. Have a way to get weather alerts from a trusted source such as hurricanes.gov or weather.gov and stay updated on the conditions. Determine and stay in a safe location and be prepared to adhere to the instructions and advice of local officials.
What are the three best ways to help those who were affected by a hurricane?
1. Often it is the basics that are required after a hurricane affects an area: shelter, water, ice, and food that will not go bad in unrefrigerated conditions.
2. They are likely to need assistance clearing the area safely and not over-exerting themselves and staying cool in the process as best you can.
3. Finally, a lot of people are shocked by what took place and need someone to listen and help them according to what you learned from hearing their talking points.
How can local governments best prepare for increasingly intensifying hurricanes?
Mitigate the impacts wherever possible. If a coastal community perhaps setback laws and restrictions and had post-evacuation routes and shelters that are tested and stocked with food and equipment to house evacuees are some ways [to prepare].
Inland areas that will feel the impacts of hurricanes need to prepare by possibly taking action along known flood areas with the removal of people and perhaps longer-term solutions of dedicating those lands to uses other than living spaces.
This answer could go in many different directions based on whether you are inland or coastal and where you live. The best answer is to contact your local emergency managers for advice for your area.
Jill C. Trepanier, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, and Geography and Anthropology
Louisiana State University
Jill C. Trepanier, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, and Geography and Anthropology
Louisiana State University
Who is most at risk for financial and emotional distress from hurricanes?
The people most at risk for financial distress are:
- Those without insurance.
- Those living in mobile homes — simply due to the structure being more vulnerable to damage.
- Those without any savings to assist with the time in between disaster and the receipt of insurance funds.
The people at risk for emotional distress are likely those with higher levels of responsibilities — someone with children, animals, multiple properties, or multiple affected family members.
Emotional distress, however, can be a result of someone who might have been more vulnerable (dealing with stress, etc.) prior to the disaster and now the disaster has been a tipping point. Emotional distress is complicated because it can affect all of us for different reasons.
What are the three best resources for disaster relief?
1. Local emergency officials
3. FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers
What are the top three ways to prepare for a severe hurricane?
1. Proactive behavior. Prior to the hurricane season, people should follow the advice of the National Hurricane Center and get prepared. Have a “hurricane kit.” Pay attention to local officials and, when an event is oncoming, prioritize your preparation. Start with securing energy sources (solar-powered devices are really becoming helpful), making sure you have food that does not require energy to prepare, and securing water supplies.
2. Then you have to secure the area. Make sure all outside materials are picked up and moved inside. Damages escalate when things become projectiles.
3. Only evacuate if told to do so or if experience tells you that your area will flood.
What are the three best ways to help those who were affected by a hurricane?
1. Provide use of energy.
2. Provide food.
3. Provide water.
If you are unable to come into the area, electronic payments can be very helpful to try and offset some of the costs. Venmo is very useful if people can get internet access — which is often available at Disaster Relief Centers.
How can local governments best prepare for increasingly intensifying hurricanes in the U.S.?
Identify places with the least amount of protection currently and prioritize those areas for enhanced protection. If we can protect more areas and more people, then the disaster impact is lessened and the state will recover more quickly.
Methodology
First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the Most Hurricane-Vulnerable Counties. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into 4 categories: Hurricane Risk, Hurricane History, Financial Impact, and Disaster Cleanup. The categories, factors, and their weights are listed in the table below.
For each of the 317 U.S. counties with a Hurricane Risk Score determined by FEMA, we then gathered data on each factor from the sources listed below the table.
Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each county to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A county’s Overall Score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest Overall Score ranked “Best” (No. 1) and the lowest “Worst” (No. 317).
Notes:
- The “Worst” among individual factors may not be No. 317 due to ties.
- Although some hurricanes did not directly cross over a particular county, hurricanes within 100 miles (the average coverage area of a typical hurricane) of the county’s center were counted in its history, as it still may have been impacted by those storms. We therefore included all hurricanes that made landfall within 100 miles of each county’s center.
- Hurricane Risk data for the Eastern Pacific Basin was unavailable from FEMA at the time of writing. West Coast counties therefore were also excluded from our sample.
Sources: Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Final Thoughts: Weathering the Storm
Climate change is causing hurricanes to strengthen with higher ocean temperatures boosting storm intensity.
As El Niño comes to an end, weather experts at NOAA are anticipating 8 to 13 hurricanes along the Atlantic this year. As many as 7 may be major (category 3–5) hurricanes.
While FEMA is incentivizing states to adopt more storm-resilient building codes, predictions show that they could run out of money for disaster relief efforts this year in the middle of hurricane season. Similar circ*mstances occurred last summer leading to a pause on 2,400 rebuilding projects.
With FEMA’s budget stretched thin, emergency shelters may be underfunded, and rebuilding efforts could be slowed after natural disasters strike.
Do what you can to stay safe and prepared for a stormy summer with more tips below.
- Make an evacuation plan for yourself and your loved ones — including pets and livestock.
- Check your emergency supplies and have a “go bag” on hand.
- Be alert and prepared with help from national resources.
- Get financially prepared with flood insurance and see if your gutters are covered by your home insurance policy.
- Invest in hurricane-resistant landscaping.
- Be ready to pick up yard debris and help your lawn recover from flood damage after a hurricane hits.
- Improve your yard’s drainage capabilities to prevent flood damage caused by heavy rainfall.
- Clean and repair your gutters for optimal drainage during intense rainstorms.
- Get your roof ready for hurricane season by scheduling a roof inspection.
Hire a local LawnStarter pro for storm cleanups or to help your lawn recover from flooding.
Media Resources
Quotes from LawnStarter Editor-in-Chief Jeff Herman
- 47 counties between Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia tied for experiencing the most category 5 hurricanes over the past 10 years.
- Some Louisiana locals are still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Katrina nearly 2 decades later. The state’s coastal regions, including Orleans Parish (No. 54) — home to New Orleans — are now more protected from storm surge flooding thanks to risk reduction investments like the 1.8 mile-long Lake Borgne Surge Barrier, aka “Great Wall of Louisiana.”
- Records show Honolulu County, Hawaii (No. 67), saw the most hurricanes over the past 10 years, including the most category 2, 3, and 4 hurricanes. However, the region has lower anticipated risk and financial loss since their storms rarely reach landfall.
- 2 Florida counties — Lee (No. 33) and Charlotte (No. 82) — landed among the 100 most vulnerable, but they share one town that claims to be hurricane-proof. Babco*ck Ranch, which also claims to be the country’s first solar-powered town, is a master-planned community created 30 feet above sea level.
- High-risk regions like Miami-Dade County, Florida (No. 4), have hurricane-resistant building codes requiring structures to withstand wind velocity of over 165 mph.
- 3 Massachusetts counties, 2 New Hampshire counties, and York County, Maine (No. 302), tied for witnessing the most category 1 hurricanes over the past decade.
- Harris County, Texas (No. 15), claims the most national disaster debris recovery facilities — 201. 22 counties in our ranking have no disaster cleanup facilities.
Main Photo Credit: Satoshi Kina / Adobe Stock / License
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Sav Maive
Sav Maive is a writer and director based in San Antonio. Sav is a graduate of the University of Virginia and is a loving cat and plant mom.
Posts by Sav Maive
