I have to admit to being a little surprised by this report. 

Researchers at Gutter Gnome did some digging to determine which U.S. cities are the safest from natural disasters. Personally, I figured no Texas cities would be ranked anywhere near the safest due to the wild weather we experience here in the Lone Star State.

101.5 KNUE logo
Get our free mobile app

And boy was I wrong. 

Of course, this is coming from someone who lives in Wichita Falls. While I didn’t grow up here, I grew up about an hour west of here in Vernon. 

So, as someone who can vividly remember one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history (I was 6 years old on Terrible Tuesday), my perspective is most definitely influenced by an event that haunts me to this day. 

Anyway, it turns out that not everyone in the Lone Star State has to dodge tornadoes as often as those of us in North Texas. The study found that Midland and Tyler were among the 10 safest cities from natural disasters in 2023. 

Specifically, Midland is ranked the 4th safest, while Tyler was determined to be the 8th safest city from natural disasters. So, if you happen to live in either of those cities and aren’t too thrilled about it, at least you can take some solace in knowing that your hometown is safer than most regarding natural disasters. 

2023’s 10 Safest Cities from Natural Disasters 

  1. Richmond, VA,  
  2. Lynchburg, VA 
  3. Roanoke, VA 
  4. Midland, TX 
  5. Duluth, MN 
  6. Rochester, MN 
  7. Pittsburgh, PA 
  8. Tyler, TX 
  9. Bloomington, IN 
  10. Boise, ID

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

25 costliest hurricanes of all time

Although the full extent of damage caused by Hurricane Ian in the Southwest is still being realized, Ian is already being called one of the costliest storms to ever hit the U.S. Stacker took a look at NOAA data to extrapolate the costliest U.S. hurricanes of all time.  

LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state

Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.

Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.

More From 101.5 KNUE