This potentially catastrophic weather event could happen anywhere in the country
You’re not imagining it: Natural disasters are increasing both in frequency and severity. Experts estimate that over the past two decades, the world has experienced around 400 per year. That means we have not only had to brush up on our knowledge of weather terms, but we’ve also had to contend with the very real threat that we could end up in the literal eye of the storm (or ground zero of an earthquake) ourselves. It’s enough to make even the calmest among us feel a little anxious.
That said, there’s one weather event that probably terrifies you even more than the others—and chances are, you might share that fear with a majority of your fellow Americans. In fact, according to a new survey from Talker Research, nearly half of people in the U.S. share a common natural-disaster fear, and we can’t say we blame them.
Read on to find out which natural disaster worries Americans the most and whether it ranks as the No. 1 weather-related fear for you too.
Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more news, humor, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.
How was the survey conducted?
The nationwide online survey, commissioned by Master Lock, was carried out by Talker Research from July 17 to July 21, 2025, and polled 2,500 adults. The sample was evenly distributed across five United States regions, with 500 respondents each from the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest and West.
What natural disaster scares Americans the most?
Tornadoes ranked as the scariest natural disaster for most Americans, with 46% of respondents ranking them in the top spot. And there’s good reason for this: Each year, roughly 1,200 tornadoes hit the United States, they pop up quickly and seemingly at random, and the devastation can be intense, with homes and even entire communities sometimes completely leveled. In 2024, an outbreak of more than 165 tornadoes across many central, southern and southeastern states cost $6.6 billion dollars in damage.
Tornadoes can happen any time of year, in all 50 states, so they are a very real threat, no matter where you live. That said, they are more likely to occur in the southern Plains (in states like Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas) from May into early June; along the Gulf Coast in early spring; and in the northern Plains and upper Midwest (North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota) in June or July.
What other natural disasters are Americans afraid of?
While tornadoes took the top spot for the scariest natural disaster, it’s not the only natural disaster that keeps people up at night. Here’s what topped Americans’ lists, along with the percentage of people who are worried about them:
- Tornado: 46%
- Tsunami: 43%
- Earthquake: 35%
- Hurricane: 33%
- Wildfire: 30%
- Flash flood: 26%
- Heat wave or drought: 6%
- Blizzard: 4%
- Mudslide: 4%
How did the survey results differ by region?
Tornadoes took the top spot overall for being the scariest natural disaster, but the results differed somewhat when looking at each of the five U.S. regions surveyed.
- In the Northeast, residents say the scariest natural disaster is a tsunami (47% of respondents), followed by a tornado (45%) and then an earthquake (41%).
- In the West, earthquakes ranked No. 1 for inspiring fear, with 48% of respondents saying they were the scariest potential disaster. After that came tornadoes and wildfires, each receiving 37% of votes.
- In the Southeast, Southwest and Midwest, tornadoes captured almost half the votes and took the top spot, with tsunamis and hurricanes rounding out the top three in those regions.
These differences aren’t all that surprising once you take each region’s particular geography and most common natural disasters into account. After all, people safely landlocked in the middle of the country aren’t really going to lose sleep about a tsunami hitting their homes.
What else did the survey find?
The survey also looked at people’s experiences with natural disasters, as well as how prepared they are to handle whatever comes their way. Interestingly, most respondents had experienced a natural disaster of some sort—an average of four of them, in fact. Surprisingly, though, only 14% felt prepared to face another major weather event. Here’s what else the survey uncovered.
Preparedness differs by region
Because certain weather events pop up more frequently in certain areas, it makes sense that people prepare for the ones that have a greater likelihood of coming their way.
For example, in the Midwest, only 33% of people felt prepared to handle a wildfire, but 62% felt prepared for a tornado. And in the Northeast, a majority said they’d be prepared for a heat wave or drought (68%) and could tolerate a blizzard (63%), but many fewer felt prepared for a tornado (38%) or an earthquake (42%).
Many people don’t have a disaster preparedness plan
Even though many respondents had experienced extreme weather events, a significant number of them hadn’t taken precautions for future ones. In fact, 30% don’t have any natural-disaster plans in place—and just 17% said that they keep their important documents and valuable items in a waterproof or fireproof safe. That latter issue affects more people than you might think, with a third of respondents saying they’d lost important items, documents or both during severe weather.
The moral of the story? Plan ahead, and don’t make the same mistake!
RELATED:
- Here’s the Only Thing Queen Elizabeth Was Scared Of, According to a Royal Biographer
- Here’s How to Unlock Your Electronic Car Door After a Crash—It Could Save Your Life
- This Hidden Smartphone Feature Could Prevent Thousands of Car Crashes, Yet 85% of People Don’t Know How to Use It
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Talker Research: “Tornadoes top list of scariest natural disasters for Americans”
- International Disaster Database
- NSSL NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory: “Severe Weather 101: Tornado Basics”
- Climate.Gov: “2024: An active year of U.S. billion-dollar weather and climate disasters”
