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    Country

    Map of the United States of America

    North America · Washington, D.C.

    The United States of America spans the North American and Pacific plates. It has 119 volcanoes active over the last 10,000 years, 35 of which have erupted since 1900. Since 1900, 203 major earthquakes have been recorded, causing at least 1,537 deaths. Its exposure to natural hazards is 7.0 out of 10 (INFORM index), a very high level. Its overall risk index, which accounts for its ability to cope, is 3.3 out of 10.

    Capital
    Washington, D.C.
    Population
    340,110,988
    Area
    9,826,675 km²
    Continent
    North America

    Tectonic Plates

    Natural Hazards

    Exposure to natural hazards according to the European Commission's INFORM index, from 0 (very low) to 10 (very high), overall and for each type of hazard.

    7.0/ 10 · Very high · ranked 10 of 191 countries
    Earthquakes7.7
    River Floods7.5
    Tsunamis7.2
    Tropical Cyclones7.7
    Coastal Floods8.4
    Drought4.2

    Overall Risk Index

    3.3/ 10 · Low · ranked 105 of 191 countries

    This overall score combines hazard exposure with the vulnerability of the population (3.3 out of 10) and the lack of coping capacity (2.1 out of 10). A highly exposed but well-prepared country therefore gets a low overall score.

    People Exposed Each Year

    • 135,136to strong shaking (intensity VI and above)
    • 60,056to destructive shaking (intensity VIII and above)
    • 679to tsunamis
    • 2,893,815to hurricane-force winds (category 1 and above)
    • 949,501to river floods
    • 375,369to coastal floods

    Overall Risk Index Over Time

    0510 2017 : 3.42018 : 3.42019 : 3.32020 : 3.12021 : 3.12022 : 3.12023 : 3.12024 : 3.12025 : 3.22026 : 3.2 3.2 2017 2026

    Hazard Levels

    Hazard level assessed by ThinkHazard! (World Bank, GFDRR), meaning the likelihood of a damaging event, from very low to high.

    • River FloodHigh
    • Urban FloodHigh
    • Coastal FloodHigh
    • EarthquakeHigh
    • LandslideHigh
    • TsunamiHigh
    • VolcanoHigh
    • CycloneHigh
    • Water ScarcityHigh
    • Extreme HeatHigh
    • WildfireHigh

    Details and recommendations on ThinkHazard!

    Volcanoes (119)

    Volcanoes active over the last 10,000 years; year of the last known eruption.

    Major Earthquakes Since 1900

    Earthquakes that caused deaths or significant damage, or of magnitude 7.5 and above (NOAA).

    1900 : 19 19 1900 1910 : 8 8 1920 : 12 12 1920 1930 : 9 9 1940 : 11 11 1940 1950 : 15 15 1960 : 9 9 1960 1970 : 13 13 1980 : 26 26 1980 1990 : 19 19 2000 : 25 25 2000 2010 : 27 27 2020 : 10 10 2020

    Deadliest

    Regions

    Regions with volcanoes, major earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones or famous faults.

    Tsunamis

    130 major tsunamis have reached the United States of America since 1900, killing 553 people in the country. The deadliest and highest are listed below.

    Tropical Cyclones

    231 major tropical cyclones have made landfall in the United States of America since 1950. The deadliest and most powerful are listed below.

    Sources : Natural Earth · Wikidata · INFORM Risk Index (1 September 2026 v 0.7.3), Commission européenne, CC BY 4.0 · NOAA NCEI · ThinkHazard!, GFDRR, CC BY · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution