A new report has highlighted the increasing frequency of natural disasters across the country, ranking Texas as the second most disaster-prone state in the nation.
The report’s findings, published by Forbes Advisor, come in the wake of a tough year for America in 2023, which saw the country deal with 28 climate disasters that resulted in $95.1 billion in damages and 492 fatalities.
The analysis compared all 50 states based on four different metrics to determine each state’s overall vulnerability to natural disasters. The resulting data showed that Texas has experienced the highest number of “billion-dollar disasters” from 2014 to 2023, totaling 90 events. Additionally, Texas ranked sixth in the number of FEMA disaster declarations (36) issued between January 1, 2014, and January 1, 2023.
Louisiana topped the list as the most disaster-prone state, followed by Texas, with Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and South Carolina.
Forbes also reported that Texas ranks ninth overall in the country for average homeowner’s insurance premiums.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, huge wildfires in California and Texas have impacted insurance rates in those states. Other disasters, including floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes, have prompted some insurance providers to withdraw coverage from states such as Texas, Florida, Oregon, and Colorado, making it difficult for homeowners in certain areas to secure any coverage whatsoever, according to FOX Business.
Notably, Forbes’ recent analysis isn’t the first report this year that focuses on the dangers of living in Texas.
Texas also ranked low in overall safety compared to other states, according to a report from WalletHub, as previously covered by DX.
WalletHub examined data from all 50 states using 52 important safety metrics, which were categorized into five areas: personal and residential safety, financial safety, road safety, workplace safety, and emergency preparedness.
In that report, Texas ranked 3rd to last, only behind Mississippi and Louisiana in terms of overall safety.