What natural disaster do you believe your state can not handle? For example, a Washingtonian recently explained that Western Washington is built for rain and earthquakes.
However, snow is not their friend. So a blizzard would devastate the Western part of the state. On the other hand, Eastern Washington is used to the snow. Here are ten states and the natural disasters their residents nominated as unable to handle.
1. Tsunami in Nebraska
“A tsunami would be pretty destructive here in Nebraska,” one suggested. Another joked, “Run for the high ground! The what!?”However, another argued, “Nebraska tilts up pretty well. Just start driving west, and you’ll be fine.”
2. Earthquake in Maine
One user noted that Maine would not withstand a significant earthquake. Nothing is built to withstand the ground shaking, and they believed it would level the state.
3. Earthquake in Maryland
Similarly, an earthquake would devastate Maryland in the metro areas and industrial districts. It’s all brick. One noted, “I’d be less concerned with older brick buildings than newer ones. Old buildings were made using lime mortar, which absorbs movement.” Maryland has a combination of both.
4. Hurricane in California
Many agreed that California couldn’t handle a hurricane. One elaborated, “It would be horrendous. With how drought-stricken it has been, it would be either horrible floods or MASSIVE landslides.
California would be CRUSHED by a hurricane. We handle tsunamis and earthquakes. We are not built for hurricane storms. Also, heavy rain here sucks because of how infrequent it is.
Lots of oil and slick things build up on the roads here. So when it rains heavily, the streets are even more slippery, so if you drive in those terrible conditions, you are likely to lose control.”
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4. Heatwave in Alaska
Someone semi-jokingly stated, “Alaska: earthquakes, volcanoes, snow … we laugh in your faces. Now a 75-degree heat wave, on the other hand, and we’re in trouble.”
Another argued, “Or 40 degrees and rain in the middle of the winter, following a few weeks of sub-zero temperatures. The roads get exciting for a few days afterward.”
I’ve been there, and it’s true, and good luck pushing your shopping cart through the Safeway parking lot without falling on your bum in those conditions too.
5. Drought in Vermont
Another answered, “Where I live in Vermont. If there were ever a severe, prolonged drought, we’d be a tinderbox (a metal box for holding tinder, a flint, and steel for striking a spark) waiting for a spark to set everything ablaze.”
6. Blizzard in Alabama
“In Alabama, an inch or two of snow is okay. But, more than that is catastrophic, shared one. “Because snow has a way of almost immediately melting on the roadways and turning to ice. Add the hilly terrain of north Alabama, and it’s a witch’s brew of problems.
We only get snow like that every ten years or so. So that means no snow chains, snow tires, and certainly no snow-clearing equipment. So instead, you hunker down, drink Bloody Marys, socialize with the neighbors, prepare for the inevitable power outages, and wait for the maternity wards to fill up 40 weeks later.
We’ve had friends from up north scoff at our version of snow. That is, until they go through the first one. Then they behave just like the rest of us.”
7. Earthquake in Utah
“I used to live in Utah,” one confessed. “The Salt Lake valley is overdue for a powerful earthquake and is vastly under-prepared. Many buildings need to be retrofitted to handle earthquakes, and many houses are made of brick and will crumble. If this earthquake happens, it will be one of the worst natural disasters in American history.
8. Blizzard in California
“California‘s been holing up for like seventeen natural disasters for a while,” another admitted. “The Big One? Heat domes? Fires? A nasty tropical storm with flooding? We’re prepared. But if we got some of that nasty texas cold snap weather, though, the state would be devastated. We’re built like Italy.”
9. Flash Floods in Nevada
Someone explained, “In Nevada, about 1,500 homeless people live in tunnels underneath Las Vegas. Flash floods are not common in this state, but those people are highly vulnerable in the rare event of one.”
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10. Earthquake in South Carolina
Finally, a South Carolinian stated, “Our infrastructure would crumble. The older buildings across the state could not handle a severe enough earthquake.
So many bridges would be under threat, and people would easily get trapped without a means to help them. So we occasionally get them here and there, but never big ones, and I’m very thankful for that.”
We hope you enjoyed this Reddit discussion about which states couldn’t handle certain natural disasters. This article is inspired by the internet and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Savoteur.
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