The SustainLane 2006 US City Rankings

Cities by Category Ranking: Natural Disaster Risk

Natural Disaster Risk ranks the likelihood of a major natural disaster based on data from Risk Management Solutions combined with SustainLane primary research. Disaster types included hurricanes, major flooding, catastrophic hail, tornado super-outbreaks, and earthquakes. As Hurricane Katrina demonstrated, natural disasters have numerous potential impacts on sustainability issues: economic, environmental, health, and social. Drought was not included, as direct impacts are harder to ascertain based on supplemental water availability from wells, aquifers, and importation, though it could be a significant factor on the sustainability of many desert cities in the study.

Coming in at #1 for lowest natural disaster risk as defined by the above criteria are Milwaukee and Mesa, Arizona. Next were Phoenix, Tucson, Cleveland, and El Paso.

Based on the above criteria, the cities with the greatest natural disaster risk are #50 Miami, which is on a exposed peninsula that is extremely vulnerable to major hurricanes and storm surge flooding; #49 New Orleans; #48 Oakland, which straddles the Hayward Earthquake Fault; #47 San Francisco, on the San Andreas Fault and at risk for tsunamis; #46 Honolulu, subject to hurricanes, storm surge flooding, and tsunamis; and #45 San Jose, which is also near the San Andreas Fault.

  • 1. Mesa, AZ*
  • 1. Milwaukee, WI*
  • 3. Cleveland, OH*
  • 3. El Paso, TX*
  • 3. Phoenix, AZ*
  • 3. Tucson, AZ*
  • 7. Colorado Springs, CO
  • 8. Detroit, MI*
  • 8. Fresno, CA*
  • 8. Minneapolis, MN*
  • 8. Philadelphia, PN*
  • 12. Chicago, IL
  • 13. Denver, CO
  • 14. Albuquerque, NM
  • 15. Las Vegas, NV
  • 16. San Antonio, TX
  • 17. Nashville, TN
  • 18. Atlanta, GA
  • 19. Omaha, NE
  • 20. Austin, TX
  • 21. Kansas City, MO
  • 22. Arlington, TX*
  • 22. Dallas, TX*
  • 22. Fort Worth, TX*
  • 25. Indianapolis, IN
  • 26. Louisville, KY
  • 27. Washington, DC
  • 28. Baltimore, MD
  • 29. Charlotte, NC
  • 30. Portland, OR
  • 31. San Diego, CA
  • 32. Boston, MA*
  • 32. Jacksonville, FL*
  • 32. New York, NY*
  • 35.Memphis, TN*
  • 35. Seattle, WA*
  • 35.Virginia Beach, VA*
  • 38. Sacramento, CA
  • 39. Columbus, OH*
  • 39. Oklahoma City, OK*
  • 39. Tulsa, OK*
  • 42. Long Beach, CA
  • 43.Houston, TX*
  • 43. Los Angeles, CA*
  • 45. San Jose, CA
  • 46. Honolulu, HI
  • 47. San Francisco, CA
  • 48. Oakland, CA
  • 49. New Orleans, LA
  • 50. Miami, FL