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The Land Value in This City Is Plummeting Due to Damaging Hurricanes

The Land Value in This City Is Plummeting Due to Damaging Hurricanes

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50. Norwalk, CT

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49. South Portland, ME

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48. Norwich, CT

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47. Waterbury, CT

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46. Wilson, NC

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45. Pharr, TX

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44. Palm Coast, FL

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42. Ormond Beach, FL

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41. Victoria, TX

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40. Lafayette, LA

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39. Summerville, SC

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38. Lake Charles, LA

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37. Huntsville, TX

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36. Goose Creek, SC

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34. New Bern, NC

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33. Beaumont, TX

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32. New Iberia, LA

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31. Mount Pleasant, SC

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30. South Bradenton, FL

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28. Pensacola, FL

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27. Brownsville, TX

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26. Golden Gate, FL

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25. Fort Pierce, FL

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24. Gulfport, MS

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23. Palm City, FL

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22. Merritt Island, FL

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20. Wilmington, NC

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19. Mobile, AL

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18. Navarre, FL

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16. North Port, FL

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15. Corpus Christi, TX

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14. Concord, NH

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13. Hinesville, GA

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12. Panama City, FL

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11. Hilton Head Island, SC

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10. Port Charlotte, FL

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9. Jacksonville, NC

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8. Daphne, AL

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6. Wright, FL

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5. Vero Beach South, FL

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4. Torrington, CT

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3. Statesboro, GA

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2. Key West, FL

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1. Kingsville, TX

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50. Norwalk, CT
49. South Portland, ME
48. Norwich, CT
47. Waterbury, CT
46. Wilson, NC
45. Pharr, TX
44. Palm Coast, FL
43. Salisbury, MD
42. Ormond Beach, FL
41. Victoria, TX
40. Lafayette, LA
39. Summerville, SC
38. Lake Charles, LA
37. Huntsville, TX
36. Goose Creek, SC
35. Enterprise, AL
34. New Bern, NC
33. Beaumont, TX
32. New Iberia, LA
31. Mount Pleasant, SC
30. South Bradenton, FL
29. Pooler, GA
28. Pensacola, FL
27. Brownsville, TX
26. Golden Gate, FL
25. Fort Pierce, FL
24. Gulfport, MS
23. Palm City, FL
22. Merritt Island, FL
21. Myrtle Beach, SC
20. Wilmington, NC
19. Mobile, AL
18. Navarre, FL
17. Lehigh Acres, FL
16. North Port, FL
15. Corpus Christi, TX
14. Concord, NH
13. Hinesville, GA
12. Panama City, FL
11. Hilton Head Island, SC
10. Port Charlotte, FL
9. Jacksonville, NC
8. Daphne, AL
7. Houma, LA
6. Wright, FL
5. Vero Beach South, FL
4. Torrington, CT
3. Statesboro, GA
2. Key West, FL
1. Kingsville, TX

Hurricanes are powerful forces of nature. Whipped into a frenzy by warm ocean waters, they unleash devastating torrents of destruction upon any landmass that's in their path with blind fury. Some cities, however, have felt that wrath more than others. And with hurricane season underway, let's take a trip down a memory lane we hope is never repeated.

There are a handful of reasons why some cities are more susceptible to hurricanes than others, and some are fairly obvious. The Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea are known as hurricane breeding grounds, so cities along coastlines that face those bodies of water are more likely to see hurricanes. Cities within the path of some prevailing wind patterns, like the trade winds and jet stream, are also more susceptible, as are ones with frequent tropical wave activity. Cities in low-lying areas or with significant portions below sea level are more vulnerable to the storm surge and flooding caused by hurricanes, and ones on barrier islands can also take the brunt of a storm's force.

To determine the cities with the most damaging hurricanes, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on natural hazard risk for U.S. census tracts from the March 2023 FEMA National Risk Index dataset. Cities were ranked based on total historic loss ratio due to hurricanes from 1996 to 2019. Total historic loss ratio is the combined sum of the percentage of agriculture value lost due to hurricanes from 1996 to 2019 and the percentage of building value lost due to hurricanes from 1996 to 2019. Data was aggregated from the census tract level to the place level using boundary definitions for 2023 from the U.S. Census Bureau. Supplemental data on population is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Only cities with at least 25,000 residents were considered.

So read on to learn which American cities have been the most battered by hurricanes. And if you think that you're in the clear just because you don't live near the coast, these hurricanes made it up to 500 miles inland.

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