Nearly Every American Has Had to Deal With Some Weather Disaster Since 2007

Wildfires, tornadoes, droughts and hurricanes are just a few of the natural weather-related disasters Americans have contended with since 2007. A new report issued by the Environment America Research and Policy Center found that 243 million people—almost 80 percent of the U.S. population—suffered from at least one of these events since 2007. Around four out of five Americans live in a counties declared federal disaster areas during this period, the Washington Post writes.

The report comes from six years of county-level natural disaster data gathered by FEMA. The results paint a disturbing picture of weather-related trends across the United States, including highlights of disaster hot spots (Oklahoma, for example, suffered a particularly horrendous bout of disasters since 2007). An interactive map also allows residents to explore disasters around the country.

South Carolina was the only state spared at least one county declaring a federal disaster area during these years, though with hurricane season right around the corner, that could change soon.

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Rachel Nuwer | | READ MORE

Rachel Nuwer is a freelance science writer based in Brooklyn.