# Safest Plce in U.S. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 16, 2018, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-plce-in-u-s/808955 "2018-02-16T20:59:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2018, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-plce-in-u-s/808955/21 "2018-02-17T19:41:27Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Ohio Michigan has fewer tornadoes than Ohio. Winters not to bad in Southeast Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_lining](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Silver\_lining](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_lining)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2018, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-plce-in-u-s/808955/22 "2018-02-17T21:18:48Z")
> [@Steven\_Estes](#): > > In terms of natural disaster, which U.S. state and which foreign nation are safest (i.e., least vulnerable to hurricanes, floods, etc.)? Maybe the USA states with the most DUMB’s. Deep Underground Military Bases. Maybe Denver or Utah. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Quatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@Mr\_Quatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Quatro)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-plce-in-u-s/808955/23 "2018-02-18T16:02:40Z")
Russia, China or North Korea could nuke the USA including Hawaii (USN) Alaska (USAF), Montana (USAF), Idaho (USAF), North Dakota (USAF), Colorado (Norad), Missouri (USAF), Texas (USN and US Army), California (USN and USAF), Virginia (USN), Florida (USN and USAF) Georgia (USN and USAF), New York and Conn (USN). Where would be a safe place to live then? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-plce-in-u-s/808955/24 "2018-02-18T18:17:46Z")
> [@Mr\_Quatro](#): > > Russia, China or North Korea could nuke the USA including Hawaii (USN) Alaska (USAF), Montana (USAF), Idaho (USAF), North Dakota (USAF), Colorado (Norad), Missouri (USAF), Texas (USN and US Army), California (USN and USAF), Virginia (USN), Florida (USN and USAF) Georgia (USN and USAF), New York and Conn (USN). > > Where would be a safe place to live then? Russia, China or North Korea? Ok, maybe I haven’t thought this through. I assume Los Alamos is not a worthwhile military target. So I think I’m still relatively safe in northern NM, to the extent that anywhere is remotely safe under those circumstances. A little ironic, as NM is the site of Trinity. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-plce-in-u-s/808955/25 "2018-02-18T19:05:48Z")
> [@Mr\_Quatro](#): > > Russia, China or North Korea could nuke the USA including Hawaii (USN) Alaska (USAF), Montana (USAF), Idaho (USAF), North Dakota (USAF), Colorado (Norad), Missouri (USAF), Texas (USN and US Army), California (USN and USAF), Virginia (USN), Florida (USN and USAF) Georgia (USN and USAF), New York and Conn (USN). > > Where would be a safe place to live then? OP “In terms of natural disaster, …” ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-plce-in-u-s/808955/26 "2018-02-18T19:25:11Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > OP “In terms of natural disaster, …” But the title did just say “Safest Place”, so I think it’s a natural direction for the conversation to go. Nuclear was is somewhat similar to a natural disaster, in the sense that it’s likely to be a massive event that comes unpredictably and is completely outside of our control. It’s certainly much closer to the OP than something like the local crime rate. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-plce-in-u-s/808955/27 "2018-02-18T20:24:02Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Ohio Second that. 🙂 > [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Michigan has fewer tornadoes than Ohio. Winters not to bad in Southeast Michigan. Yeah, but it’s Michigan, that really counts as its own natural disaster doesn’t it? 😉 I’ll take the very occasional tornado that makes the headlines because it ripped off someone’s roof over getting buried in snow 6 months of the year. You don’t get that much fewer tornadoes, [16, rather than 19](http://media.cleveland.com/weather/blog_impact/photo/average-annual-tornadoes-by-state-be3240265eb13cb5.jpeg). ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-plce-in-u-s/808955/28 "2018-02-19T10:51:25Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > Big Island of Hawaii several miles north of Hilo (where my home is). > > Hurricane? No major ( or even minor) hurricanes in recorded history, (Hundreds of years.) > > Tsunami? Eighty foot cliff above the ocean 3/4 mile from home. > > Volcanic eruption? Mauna Kea (behind home) last erupted 5000 years ago. Its terrain would block any lava flow from Mauna Loa. > > Tornado? Terrain is too mountainous. > > Flooding? Island is made from very porous volcanic rock. Even after an historic 26 inch rainfall in 24 hours, there was no standing water on property. > > Drought? Last year 185 inches of rain, Year before 235’. > > Earthquake? Was here for a major 7.2 earthquake. So what? The ground shook violently for almost a minute, but there was no damage to home. > > Food shortage? Year round growing season. Fertile soil with plenty of rain for irrigating crops. Works for me! (said your neighbor in Honomu). We have landslides sometimes, but AFAIK they are not epic. Our area is too wet for wildfires, though there are other places on island where there are serious fire hazards at times. Do you subscribe to the County of Hawaii civil defense alerts? (If not, and you’d like to, [go to this site](http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/active-alerts/).) They are always warning about severe weather, floods, possible tsunamis, etc. Nonetheless, I feel pretty safe. Can’t get a pizza delivered, though ☹ ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-plce-in-u-s/808955/29 "2018-02-19T11:00:14Z")
> [@Mr\_Quatro](#): > > Russia, China or North Korea could nuke the USA including Hawaii (USN) Alaska (USAF), Montana (USAF), Idaho (USAF), North Dakota (USAF), Colorado (Norad), Missouri (USAF), Texas (USN and US Army), California (USN and USAF), Virginia (USN), Florida (USN and USAF) Georgia (USN and USAF), New York and Conn (USN). > > Where would be a safe place to live then? Nowhere on the planet, so let’s ignore that option. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-plce-in-u-s/808955/30 "2018-02-19T14:40:06Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Second that. > > 🙂 > > Yeah, but it’s Michigan, that really counts as its own natural disaster doesn’t it? 😉 > > I’ll take the very occasional tornado that makes the headlines because it ripped off someone’s roof over getting buried in snow 6 months of the year. You don’t get that much fewer tornadoes, [16, rather than 19](http://media.cleveland.com/weather/blog_impact/photo/average-annual-tornadoes-by-state-be3240265eb13cb5.jpeg). Yeah. The Cincinnati area in particular is pretty safe. Most tornadoes and even really deep snows (usually) peter out to the west in Indiana. No real earthquake threat here, closest is probably the far SW region of Kentucky. Yeah, summers are a hot slog sometimes, but humidity is everywhere in the Midwest, and winters are generally fairly mild. The only real threat around here is the Ohio River flooding, and most people don’t live in the floodplain, and the USACE has helped mitigate the floods with the dams up and down the river as well. The worst threat to my well being is the state of professional sports in my city. ---
**Author:** ![Ashtura](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ashtura/32/2963_2.png) [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-plce-in-u-s/808955/31 "2018-02-19T15:09:58Z")
Okay, I know this is anectodal, but what about delaware? We’ve been grazed by hurricanes a couple times since I’ve lived there, but not enough to give us more than 5 minute blackouts. There’s been like 6 deaths by hurricane since 1789. Certainly very low risk for any other type of natural disasters (earthquakes, tornadoes, etc.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safest-plce-in-u-s/808955.md?page=1)