Key Insights: Counties like Collin County, Texas, and Cook County, Illinois, face potential annual losses of hundreds of millions of dollars. Oklahoma and Nebraska have the highest average home insurance premiums relative to median income. Some of the nation’s oldest housing stock increases tornado vulnerability in places like St. Louis City, Missouri, and Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Both counties face high expected financial losses due to dense populations and aging infrastructure. Code adoption is lagging. Many high-risk counties have not implemented the latest structural standards in the 2024 International Building Code, leaving homes underprotected. “Tornadoes actually form from the ground up, not from the cloud down,” explains Dr. Jana Houser, associate professor of Meteorology at The Ohio State University. “The visible funnel forms from the cloud, but the tornado-strength rotation begins at the ground and sucks upwards, intensifying the process.” She adds that hills and cities offer no protection, and tornadoes can and do move through urban and mountainous areas.
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