The nation’s deadliest wildfire – with 100-plus fatalities on Maui as the count grows – came in a state known for its natural beauty, not natural disasters.
Next, consider what a federal disaster risk index tells us. Hawaii on this scorecard was projected to have only the 37th-highest potential for natural disasters among the states, with an estimated cost of $159 million a year.
California was No. 1 at $6.8 billion. Next came Texas at $4.6 billion, Florida at $1.7 billion, Louisiana at $1.1 billion, and North Carolina at $1 billion. By the way, you’re safest – by this math – in Rhode Island with $16 million in potential damage, followed by the District of Columbia at $17 million, Vermont at $25 million, Delaware at $34 million, and New Hampshire at $42 million.Hawaii ranked 40th among the states, with five deaths forecast per year while California was second at 120.
Plus, the environment’s great unknown is scary. Mother Nature doesn’t care much about weather history or what computer models might tell us. Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at
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