"Death Map": Where Americans Are Most Likely To Die (IMAGES)

A new map plotting deaths resulting from forces of nature reveals where Mother Nature is most likely to kill you.

People living in the South along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts have a higher likelihood of dying from a natural hazard compared to residents of the Great Lakes area and urbanized Northeast.

And while intense hurricanes and tornadoes steal headlines for their intense winds and overall destruction, the new map shows what other previous studies have found, that everyday hazards, such as severe winter and summer weather, and heat account for the majority of natural hazard deaths in the United States.

"This work will enable research and emergency management practitioners to examine hazard deaths through a geographic lens," said researcher Susan Cutter of the University of South Carolina, Columbia. "Using this as a tool to identify areas with higher than average hazard deaths can justify allocation of resources to these areas with the goal of reducing loss of life."

Keep reading here.

-OR-

Check out these these death maps from BioMed Central below.

Comments

[hellyskiia1]

The units of measurement are in standard deviation, but what the hell IS the standard deviation here? The x-axis might as well been left as "x" since the units are moot without a reference point.

[JBS]

If I understand the map plot ...

The blue areas show where STATISTICALLY you're slightly less likely than everyone else to die from flooding, severe weather, tornado, earthquake, heat/drought, winter weather, lightning or other causes.

The white areas show where you're just as likely as everyone else to die from flooding, severe weather, tornado, earthquake, heat/drought, winter weather, lightning or other causes.

And in the red areas show where you're slightly more likely than everyone else to die from flooding, severe weather, tornado, earthquake, heat/drought, winter weather, lightning or other causes.

But there's no place on the map where you ain't gonna die.

Or did I miss something.

[Retrofuturistic]

The experts forgot to mention "death from the incompetence of your own government".

[Malamati]

Makes you wonder why we keep "voting" for the same thing again and again.

[LolaPlanner]

apparently in alaska and Hawaii, you're safe since they are not part of the US map!

[sloreader]

Just keep driving around so the Death Map can't pin you down!

[Icantbelieveher]

It's amazing how this map is hugely similar to the one on this website:

http://www.electoral-vote.com/

Coincidence?

[1sparrow]

does red man death by scalping?

[Forester]

Not sure from their website how the numbers are worked up. I do note that a lot of higher mortality areas are sparse and are mostly rural counties. There may be misleading statistics due to lower sample numbers or how the deaths get reported in different areas of the country. Many times these types of maps/statistical charts are misleading and require careful scrutiny. They would need to control for many confounding factors, which drops sample sizes and this can introduce higher variances and unintended bias. It appear Indian country is hit hard, while tornado alley and earthquake county are at or above average. I think it is county-based, but maybe census tract based - can't tell.

[mh01]

That kind of complexity for something as simple as plotting a few weather deaths on a map....kind of makes you wonder how anyone can say human caused global warming is a fact with a straight face.

[Forester]

With regard to global warming:
A. There is no evidence that refutes the warming trend
B. There is no evidence that refutes the CO2 spike
C. There is no evidence that the CO2 spike is a result of emissions that started with the Industrial Revolution. (glacial bubble data)

The biggest leap people are having trouble making is the inference that the man-caused CO2 spike is what is directly causing the increase in average global temperatures. This does require some elemental understanding of how science works, and is clearly something Americans do not in general grasp. It is similar to when Reagan declared that because there were no definitive studies showing the cause and effect of midwest coal-fired powerplant emissions and acid rain in northeastern Canada, and therefore the inference of cause and effect was not possible. Of course the problem is that when policy makers are known to have a vested interest, there credibility becomes an issue. George Bush and his oil-based/pro-industry policies have a similar problem. To believe that humans are too insignificant to effect our planet is to miss the lesson of Easter Island.

[helmboy]

Boy, am I ever relieved! Living in Alaska, I guess no one ever dies there. Thanks, statisticians for leaving us out again.

[Icantbelieveher]

I think if you compare this map with the electoral map (republican states tend to have lower incomes, lower education value, and higher infant mortality) it lookes eerily the same! Why do those people keep voting against their own self interest?

[LafnBacstage]

What A Rush!

Ya haven't lived until you die in a red state?

[TheStudentPundit]

Looks like I'm pretty safe here in the Bay Area. And by the way, look at that big area of "death" in Arizona! John McCain better be careful...

[Forester]

that is mostly Indian country in N AZ, not retired white folks.

[Icantbelieveher]

Again, one of those red states with minorities kept at poverty level!

[motoGpifupleez]

The Republicans are headed to the minority quicker than expected. This story is enough to make this agnostic willing to believe (hee hee). Real America, clinging to guns and religion-BUT NOT TO LIFE!

[jsgaetano]

The biggest irony is how the portions of the populace most opposed to nationalized heath care are the ones who would benefit the most from it.

The way conservatives have their voters crusading against their own best interests is quite amazing. Admirable, even, from a "mind controlling the drooling masses" standpoint.

[jsgaetano]

Red States are red, in more ways than one.

[pat8942]

I wonder what the mortality rate is on the Moon.

[mlaiuppa]

Whew! I'm pretty safe.