Forget horror movies β when it comes to what really keeps Americans up at night, itβs Mother Nature. A new survey of 2,500 Americans finds that tornadoes top the list of the scariest natural disasters. πͺοΈ
- 46% of people said tornadoes are the most frightening.
- Tsunamis came in second (43%), followed by earthquakes (35%) and hurricanes (33%).
- Wildfires (30%), flash floods (26%), heatwaves/droughts (6%), blizzards (4%), and mudslides (4%) didnβt scare people nearly as much.
πΊοΈ By Region:
- Northeasterners feel most confident handling heatwaves/droughts (68%) and blizzards (63%), but only 38% think theyβre prepared for a tornado.
- Midwesterners? Nearly two-thirds (62%) believe they could handle a tornado, but much fewer feel prepared for wildfires (33%) or mudslides (27%).
- Flash floods are happening everywhere β but only 43% say theyβd feel ready if it hit their area.
π βDisaster Veteransβ:
- The poll says only 14% of Americans consider themselves a βdisaster veteran,β defined as someone unshakably prepared for anything.
- On average, those whoβve lived through disasters have faced four different ones in their lifetime.
- The biggest surprises? Losing power for days (47%), seeing destruction up close (39%), and how long it takes to get back to normal (36%).
β‘ The Bigger Picture: Half of Americans (51%) believe severe weather is happening more often, and 37% believe itβs becoming stronger.
π Whether itβs tornadoes in the Midwest, blizzards in the Northeast, or hurricanes in the South, one thingβs clear β weβre all just trying to stay one step ahead of Mother Nature.
