New Study Names 3 Major Ohio Cities 'Safest from Natural Disasters'

A new study released by property & real-estate giant, Trulia, claims to provide homeowners with the inside scoop on Mother Nature's fury.

Stormy Weather over Put-In-Bay, OH: Summer 2013

Based on information and data collected from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), US Forest Service, and FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program, the study takes into account neighborhood information and a history of weather violence.

The result? A list of the top ten cities least likely to be impacted by flooding, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes or wildfires.

Ohio contains three of the ten cities on that list. 

Here is the list:

1. Syracuse, NY

2. Cleveland, OH

3. Akron, OH

4. Buffalo, NY

5. Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD

6. Dayton, OH

7. Allentown, PA

8. Chicago, IL

9. Denver, CO

10. Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI

Does this mean, meteorologically speaking, there is a smaller risk of death or destruction in Ohio based on geographical location? Perhaps. But a study looking at the broad risk of multiple weather phenomenon without a focus on the severity of the existing climatological data seems to lack, in my book. 

Tornadoes are on the list of 'least risk' for this study, however in 1974, a tornado in Xenia, OH caused 32 fatalities as a part of a 12-tornado outbreak in a less than 24-hour period of time. 

Xenia is located just 15 miles East of Dayton, OH. 

Xenia, OH, 1974 tornado outbreak

The Xenia tornado was rated an F-5, and the damage done was estimated at $100 Million (in 1974, not adjusted for inflation).

Case in point: The study shows no research considering the impact of winter weather, blizzards or Lake Effect snow. So since many of these cities on the list are located in the Great Lakes region, researchers should be careful to say that the weather here doesn't have a big impact.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8334-505145_162-57599608/top-10-safest-u.s-cities-from-natural-disasters/