Areas in the U.S. Most at Risk and Most Prepared for Hurricanes

Hurricane season is coming around once more. To assess hurricane risk and preparation level, we’ve gathered and sorted through plenty of data. We’ve then documented the states that are at most risk of hurricanes. Followed by an analysis of those states who are most prepared including North Carolina.

We’ve also provided a few tips for preparing your home for the coming hurricane season.

Risk of Hurricane Damage 

It’s probably safe to say that the folks in Colorado are not very well prepared for hurricanes. Of course, they don’t need to be prepared because hurricanes aren’t expected anywhere near the Rockies. But who should be prepared?

NOAA has published a listing of hurricane direct hits by state from 1851 to 2020. That list provides a reasonable idea of where we can expect the next hurricanes to hit. In the list below, we’ve ranked them by total hurricanes and included major hurricanes.

Hurricane Direct Hits by State 1851-2020

Ranking	State	Total Hurricanes	Major Hurricanes
1	Florida	120	37
2	Texas	65	19
3	North Carolina	58	7
4	Louisiana	58	18
5	South Carolina	30	5
6	Alabama	25	5
7	Georgia	22	3
8	Mississippi	19	8
9	Virginia	12	0
10	Massachusetts	12	1
11	Connecticut	11	2
12	Rhode Island	10	3
13	New Jersey	4	0
14	Maine	3	0
15	Maryland	2	0
16	Delaware	2	0
17	Pennsylvania	1	0
18	New Hampshire	1	0

North Carolina ranks third on the list with 58 direct hits and seven major hurricanes. 

Of course, a hurricane doesn’t have to make a direct hit to cause considerable damage. It can also cause damage from storm surges, heavy rains, flooding, and related tornadoes without ever directly hitting the coast. For more insight, see our article Worst U.S. Cities for Hurricane Damage where Cape Hatteras, Morehead City, and Wilmington are the top three with the most frequent encounters with hurricanes.

Risk of Storm Surge Damage

A storm surge is caused by high winds and low pressure in front of a hurricane. That builds a large mass of water pushing it onto the land forming a storm surge. 

Since just one cubic yard of sea water weighs almost one ton, all that water can cause an enormous amount of damage. This happens both in front of the storm and when the hurricane leaves as the water flows back to the ocean.

CoreLogic’s 2020 Storm Surge Report identified residences at risk. They found 7,110,779 single-family and 252,657 multi-family homes at risk from a Category 5 hurricane.

They further broke down their analysis into the top metro areas at risk. Miami, New York, Tampa, and New Orleans topped the list.

Hurricane Preparedness by State

The analysis below takes the 18 states from the high-risk list above and adds two elements that illustrate preparedness for hurricanes. 

The response ranking is based on the number of National Guard members, usually the first group deployed to help in a natural disaster. The emergency budget ranking is based on the amount of a state’s budget allocated to emergencies. Both are calculated on a per capita basis. The overall score comes from adding the two rankings.

Hurricane Preparedness by State

Preparedness Ranking	State	Response Ranking	Emergency Budget Ranking	Overall Score
1	Delaware	3	2	5
2	Louisiana	5	1	6
3	Rhode Island	2	6	8
4	Alabama	4	5	9
5	Mississippi	1	8	9
6	Connecticut	10	3	13
7	South Carolina	7	7	14
8	New Hampshire	8	9	17
9	Georgia	11	10	21
10	Florida	18	4	22
11	Maine	6	17	23
12	Massachusetts	12	12	24
13	Virginia	15	11	26
14	Pennsylvania	9	18	27
15	Maryland	14	14	28
16	North Carolina	13	15	28
17	New Jersey	16	13	29
18	Texas	17	16	33

North Carolina ranked 16^th overall, with response at 13^th and budget ranked at 15^th.

Hurricane Preparation Tips

There are four primary risks from a hurricane: wind, rain, flooding, and power loss.

• Wind. Windows can take the full force of winds and flying debris. Then, when a window is broken, rain enters your home, as does the wind. That wind can literally blow off the roof. Use storm shutters or plywood to cover windows. Garage doors are a particularly weak defense against winds with their high surface area. Install a wind-load garage door for considerably improved protection.
• Rain. A damaged roof can let rain into your attic, followed closely by inundating the rest of your home with rainwater. Have tarps ready to cover damaged areas after the storm has passed. Gutters and downspouts need to be clear. If not, water can spill over the top, onto your foundation, and find its way into your basement or crawl space, causing flooding.
• Flooding. The best preparation for your home is to waterproof your basement. That includes repairing any cracks, adding a drainage system, and installing a sump pump with a backup battery that can take over during power outages. All this can greatly reduce any damage from flooding.
• Power loss. After a hurricane has passed, it can often take several days to get power restored. Consider a small gasoline or propane generator to keep your food refrigerated, some lights on, and the radio going to keep you apprised of changing conditions. 

For more advice on hurricane preparation, see our article Hurricane Preparedness Week.

We Can Help

We experience North Carolina weather firsthand across the state and at our offices in Raleigh and Winston-Salem. We’ve helped quite a few people prepare their homes for severe weather, including hurricanes.

We can help identify any issues with your basement or crawl space that need to be addressed before a hurricane or tropical storm arrives. For a free inspection and repair estimate, contact the professionals at Tar Heel Basement Systems.

Holly Richards-Purpura

Content Writer

Holly is a Content Writer for Groundworks who has written and edited web content for the foundation services industry for almost 10 years. With a background in journalism, her passion for the written word runs deep. Holly lives in Columbus, OH, with her husband. Along with educating homeowners, she also has a big heart for the Big Apple.