LA Times: “The riskiest place for a natural disaster in the U.S.? You’re living in it, L.A.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has released a National Risk Index map, created by 80 experts over 6 years. Taking into account community resilience and 18 natural disasters, the map has ranked Los Angeles County as having the highest risk in the United States. Some of the natural disasters are predictable, such as high risk of riverine flooding, wildfires, strong winds, earthquakes, and drought. However, others may seem unexpected, such as relatively high risk of tornadoes, ice storms, or lightning. The tool is imperfect, but may be useful in disaster planning. Click here to read more from Associated Press, and here to read about how to prepare for natural disasters.