Forget horror movies — when it comes to what really keeps Americans up at night, it’s Mother Nature. A new survey of 2,500 Americans finds that tornadoes top the list of the scariest natural disasters. 🌪️
- 46% of people said tornadoes are the most frightening.
- Tsunamis came in second (43%), followed by earthquakes (35%) and hurricanes (33%).
- Wildfires (30%), flash floods (26%), heatwaves/droughts (6%), blizzards (4%), and mudslides (4%) didn’t scare people nearly as much.
🗺️ By Region:
- Northeasterners feel most confident handling heatwaves/droughts (68%) and blizzards (63%), but only 38% think they’re prepared for a tornado.
- Midwesterners? Nearly two-thirds (62%) believe they could handle a tornado, but much fewer feel prepared for wildfires (33%) or mudslides (27%).
- Flash floods are happening everywhere — but only 43% say they’d feel ready if it hit their area.
👀 “Disaster Veterans”:
- The poll says only 14% of Americans consider themselves a “disaster veteran,” defined as someone unshakably prepared for anything.
- On average, those who’ve lived through disasters have faced four different ones in their lifetime.
- The biggest surprises? Losing power for days (47%), seeing destruction up close (39%), and how long it takes to get back to normal (36%).
⚡ The Bigger Picture: Half of Americans (51%) believe severe weather is happening more often, and 37% believe it’s becoming stronger.
🌎 Whether it’s tornadoes in the Midwest, blizzards in the Northeast, or hurricanes in the South, one thing’s clear — we’re all just trying to stay one step ahead of Mother Nature.