The State With the Most Hurricane Risk May Surprise You; It Isn’t Florida

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) outlook for the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which extends from June 1 to November 30, predicted a 65% chance of an above-normal season, meaning that states with the most hurricane risk may face even more significant losses.

To find the states with the most expected risk this hurricane season, MoneyGeek analyzed expected annualized losses from hurricanes overall and per capita. We also determined which at-risk states had the most vehicle owners without comprehensive auto insurance coverage; without this insurance, drivers aren't covered for hurricane-related damage to their vehicles.

Extreme flooding, power outages and massive property damage can make the aftermath of a hurricane extremely stressful. Taking steps to prepare your home against hurricane damages and secure an affordable home insurance policy with adequate coverage can help give you peace of mind this hurricane season and beyond.

Marty Bell — chief science officer of WeatherFlow — offered some advice on protecting your property before a hurricane strikes, including ensuring you have a robust home insurance policy.

“Before hurricane season, review insurance policies and make sure your home has proper coverage. Remember that homeowner’s insurance does not cover flood damage, so if flooding is a threat at your location, make sure you have a separate flood insurance policy,” Bell said.

He also advises to always follow local building codes and make as many retrofits as you can outside of storm season.

“Garage doors are a common failure point, so have that up to code. Trim any weak branches or other vegetation around your home. When a storm threatens, the most important things to do will be to cover windows, secure loose outdoor items and move your vehicle to a safe location.”

Because of climate change, homeowners may want to evaluate the potential risk of weather-related disasters in their area and take extra precautions to protect their assets; it’s crucial that you understand how climate change impacts your home insurance.

Comprehensive auto insurance covers more than theft, glass breakage or fire — it also covers damage due to floods, hail and other natural disasters — including hurricanes.

MoneyGeek utilized data from our previous comprehensive coverage by state study to find the percentage of vehicle owners without comprehensive coverage in states with hurricane risk. Our analysis identified the percentage of vehicle owners without this crucial coverage in hurricane-prone areas who would be at risk of having a total vehicle if their car was damaged or totaled during a hurricane.

Mississippi topped the list with nearly half of vehicle owners — 49.3% — not having comprehensive coverage. Arkansas and Oklahoma were next with 44.5% and 44.2% of drivers lacking comprehensive coverage, respectively.

Although some vehicle owners may not purchase comprehensive coverage because it’s not required, the coverage may be a cost-effective investment as it covers multiple types of damages. In most cases, this coverage is less expensive than the cost to replace an entire vehicle or make major repairs in the event of hurricane damage.

MoneyGeek’s full data set provides a detailed view of the full list of states where hurricanes can occur, considering only those states with an expected annual loss rating from “very low” to “very high" and excluding states FEMA has deemed “not applicable” in terms of exposure to hurricanes that would cause damages.

The table below uses the following terminology to evaluate hurricane risk and loss across the country:

• Expected Building & Population Loss per Capita: Total expected building and population losses per person based on population size.
• Expected Building & Population Losses: The expected losses associated with building destruction and damages combined with expected losses associated with injury and fatalities using a FEMA-determined statistical value of life of $7.6 million.

MoneyGeek utilized data from FEMA’s National Risk Index datasets to calculate the annual expected losses for each state from building damage and population exposure data, which considers the FEMA-determined statistical value of life to be $7.6 million. To calculate per capita risk, MoneyGeek utilized the population as of 2016.

To calculate vehicle risk, we used data from MoneyGeek's comprehensive coverage by state study to find the percentage of vehicle owners without comprehensive coverage in states with hurricane risk.

FEMA's National Risk Index data also includes estimates for agricultural losses due to hurricanes, which were excluded from MoneyGeek’s analysis.

If you have any questions about our findings or methodology, please reach out to Melody Kasulis via email at melody@moneygeek.com.