map of natural hazard mortality in Tennessee... (Rutherford: 2014, credit)

[kamoshika]

Based on some of the questions posed on this forum, it appears that many people have a great fear of natural disasters. While tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes are terrifying and often deadly, it's the more mundane natural hazards like lightning and heat that take the most lives.

A map of natural hazard mortality in the United States has been produced. The map gives a county-level representation of the likelihood of dying as the result of natural events such as floods, earthquakes or extreme weather.
United States Death Map Revealed

Here's the full study:
International Journal of Health Geographics | Full text | Spatial patterns of natural hazards mortality in the United States
National mortality map (click on image once to enlarge):
http://www.ij-healthgeographics.com/...X-7-64-3-l.jpg

County map for TN:
http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/maps/stout47.gif

Tennessee mortality map:

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd14/kamoshika93/mortalitymapforTN-1.gif (broken link)
(Credit: University of South Carolina Department of Geography)

In terms of deaths from natural hazards for the period 1970-2004, red counties are the riskiest, pink riskier than average, light blue safer than average, and medium blue the safest.

It would take too long to identify all the pink counties, but here are the riskiest and safest counties based on this study:

red: Bledsoe, Morgan, Fentress, Pickett, Madison and Hardin
light blue: Sullivan, Hawkins, Blount, Knox, Union, Warren, DeKalb, White, Chester, Rutherford, Sumner and Wilson
medium blue: Washington & Greene

[jabogitlu]

Well, good to know I grew up in a blue county and still reside in one, too!

[Beretta]

Very good and informative info Kamo, thank you!