News Taffy

After more than 300 people were recently killed in a record-breaking series of storms, Sperling’s Best Places, a publisher of city rankings, published a study in The New York Times that named Jonesboro, Ark. as the second most dangerous place to live…in the entire country. No, not Northeast Arkansas or the general area; our city itself has specifically been deemed a magnet for natural disasters.

After the onslaught of tornadoes and floods, which continue to affect many people in Northeast Arkansas, that ranking may come as no surprise to some of you. Still, there were plenty of places in California and elsewhere that some expected to be more dangerous than Jonesboro. Yet after assessing the combined tornado, earthquake and hurricane risks in 379 American metro areas, we came out (almost) on top.

One reason behind that ranking is that Jonesboro is obviously prone to horrible storms that result in tornadoes, flooding, hail damage, etc. But what really made Jonesboro stand out as a naturally risky place to reside is that the city is its close proximity to the New Madrid Fault Zone. Although the fault line has not been seriously active since 1812, the threat remains. 

To see a more detailed map of America’s most natural disaster-prone places, click here.