Disaster Preparedness: Connecticut Ranks Middle-of-the-Pack at #25

When it comes to disaster preparedness, Connecticut is doing better than half the states.  And doing worse than half the states, according to newly released data and analysis.

To determine the best states for disaster preparedness, the website SmileHub compared the 50 states across three key dimensions: 1) Resilience Infrastructure & Support Capacity, 2) Disaster Prevention Planning & Funding and 3) Disaster Risk & Lasting Damage. Smilehub evaluated those dimensions using 14 relevant metrics.

In the three categories, Connecticut ranked #16 in Resilience Infrastructure & Support Capacity, #40  in Disaster Prevention Planning & Funding, and #11 in Disaster Risk & Lasting Damage.  Overall, the state ranked #25.

The top 10 states for Disaster Preparedness, according to the Smilehub analysis, include three New England states.  Leading the 50 states are:  Vermont, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Alaska, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Utah, Minnesota and Delaware.  At the bottom of the list are Nevada, Arizona, and Mississippi.

The website analysis points out that the U.S. experienced 10 or more separate billion-dollar disasters for the 14th consecutive year in 2024, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Despite the need for preparation, the latest data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency indicates that only 45% of adults believe they are prepared for a natural disaster, and 42% plan on preparing but have not taken action yet.

Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Defense Defense Manpower Data Center, U.S. Government Accountability Office, U.S. Fire Administration, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Esri, Federal Emergency Management Agency, United Health Foundation, National Health Security Preparedness Index and National Centers for Environmental Information.