Cleveland, OH

Top 10 US cities with lowest risk of climate disasters—including hurricanes, fires and floods

Published

1 month ago

October 10, 2024

Top 10 US cities with lowest risk of climate disasters—including hurricanes, fires and floods

With Hurricane Milton heading toward Florida and swaths of the South still reeling in the wake of Hurricane Helene, many might be wondering: Is any place truly safe from extreme weather?

Indeed, natural disasters have already caused more than $25 billion in damage this year.

And the Realtor.com 2024 Housing and Climate Risk report found that 44.8% of U.S. homes are at risk for extreme weather exposure, including extreme heat, wind, flood, and wildfires.

These threats don’t just impinge on people’s quality of life; they also affect housing prices and home insurance rates.

Sun Belt states are among the most disaster-prone spots in the country, and it shows in their high insurance premiums. Mississippi—which experienced major flooding this past spring—has insurance rates that are 30% above the national average, and Florida’s home insurance rates are four times the national average.

Research from the First Street Foundation estimates that 3.2 million people have become “climate migrants” who are creating “climate abandonment areas” due to extreme weather conditions.

“There appears to be clear winners and losers in regard to the impact of flood risk on neighborhood-level population change,” Jeremy Porter, the foundation’s head of climate implications research, said in a statement. “The downstream implications of this are massive and impact property values, neighborhood composition, and commercial viability both positively and negatively.”

To help prospective buyers consider current environmental realities, Realtor.com created property-specific environmental risk scores for listings that allow users to assess the risk of hazards such as hurricanes, floods, and wildfires.

“Prospective homeowners can leverage these scores to evaluate climate-related risks across various locations, helping them identify ‘safer’ areas before making their final decision,” says Realtor.com economist Jiayi Yu. “Living in areas with a low risk of natural disasters offers numerous benefits to homeowners, including reduced risk of property damage, lower insurance costs, and a more stable local economy. This can contribute to a more secure, stable, and fulfilling lifestyle. Choosing to reside in areas with low natural disaster risk can help mitigate these concerns.”

Realtor.com also ranked the safest cities to live in around the country based on the share of homes that face minimal or minor hurricane, flood, or fire damage risk.

In case you’re curious where these safer-than-average havens are hiding, read on.

Akron, OH

Share of homes at the lowest risk: 91.1%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $55.4 billion

Cleveland, OH

Share of homes at the lowest risk: 89.3%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $163.5 billion

Seattle, WA

Share of homes at the lowest risk: 88.4%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $784.2 billion

Columbus, OH

Share of homes at the lowest risk: 87.7%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $197.6 billion

Cincinnati, OH

Share of homes at the lowest risk: 87.7%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $199.3 billion

Dayton, OH

Share of homes at the lowest risk: 87.2%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $57.8 billion

Indianapolis, IN

Share of homes at the lowest risk: 86.9%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $190.1 billion

Pittsburgh, PA

Share of homes at the lowest risk: 84.7%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $183.3 billion

Toledo, OH

Share of homes at the lowest risk: 83.6%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $41 billion

Grand Rapids, MI

Share of homes at the lowest risk: 82.2%
Total value of properties at the lowest risk: $93.4 billion

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Cleveland, OH

Your guide to holiday activities across Northeast Ohio

Published

5 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Your guide to holiday activities across Northeast Ohio

Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays, which is why you’ll want to check out these fun activities happening across Northeast Ohio.

We break down all the different types of events happening in the area.

Tree lightings

Wade Oval

Wade Oval will be hosting Illuminate the Circle on Nov. 23 from 5-8 p.m.

The lights will be turned on daily from Nov. 24 until Jan. 26.

NELA Park

NELA Park Holiday Lighting Ceremony showcases GE Lighting ‘Holiday Delighter’

NELA Park Holiday Lighting Ceremony will be celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year.

The ceremony will take place on Dec. 6.

WinterLAND

Brian Sobolewski

Cleveland’s Holiday tree arrives at Public Square.

On Nov. 30, make sure you head down to Public Square to watch the lights turn on across Cleveland.

The annual tree-lighting will be part of a day of celebrations and family-friendly experiences across Cleveland.

For more information, click here.

Annual traditions

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

All aboard!

The holiday season is here, which means the North Pole Adventure on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad has returned.

The event that runs through December 20 has something to offer for the entire family and guest appearances from Santa Claus and his elves.

For more information and tickets, click here.

Wild Winter Lights

Wild Winter Lights returns next month

The popular Wild Winter Lights event will take over the zoo from Nov. 12 until Dec. 30.

The event features more than one and a half million lights strung across multiple holiday-themed areas in the zoo.

For more information, click here.

Magic of Lights

Magic of Lights drive-thru more than doubles traffic as families safely celebrate holiday season

Magic of Lights is returning to the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds this holiday season.

The light show opens on Nov. 27 and closes on Jan. 4.

Click here for more information.

Performances

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Cleveland, OH - Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse -TSO2024_Admat_Horizontal_16x9_Localized.jpg — retouching | digital imaging | post production | finishing | pre press | publishing | graphic design | photography | concert photography

It wouldn’t be the holidays without the Trans-Siberian Orchestra coming to town.

This year, their concert is on Dec. 27 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

To learn more, click here.

Cleveland Orchestra

The Cleveland Orchestra might perform concerts year-round, but during the month of December, they perform sounds of the holiday season.

The holiday concerts are performed from Dec. 11 through the 22.

For more information, click here.

The Nutcracker

The beloved holiday show, The Nutcracker, will be taking over Playhouse Square.

Come and watch the Cleveland Ballet perform the holiday classic.

For more information, click here.

A Christmas Carol

Even if you’re a Scrooge, you will enjoy this show.

A Christmas Carol will be performed at Playhouse Square from Nov. 24 until Dec. 23.

For more information, click here.

Winter break camps

Great Lakes Science Center

The Science Center will be hosting STEM camps from Dec. 23 until Dec. 37 and from Dec. 30 to Jan. 3.

Kids will learn about space, chemistry, engineering and more.

Click hereto learn more.

Indoor activities

Cleveland Museum of Art

Looking for something fun and free to do while your kids are off school?

Head to the Cleveland Museum of Art to check out their new exhibits.

For more information, click here.

Natural History Museum

Hidden Gems - Cleveland Museum of Natural History 8.jpg — A chunk of the moon collected by Alan Bean on Nov. 20, 1969 is on long-term loan from NASA at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Have you missed going to the history museum? They reopen on Dec. 15.

For more information, click here.

News 5 currently has sponsorship agreements with University Circle, Inc., organizer of the Wade Oval holidays events; Live Nation, organizer of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert; and the Great Lakes Science Center, host of the holiday camps.

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Cleveland, OH

High winds leave tens of thousands without power in Northeast Ohio

Published

13 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

High winds leave tens of thousands without power in Northeast Ohio

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO)—High winds on Wednesday brought down power lines and trees, leaving tens of thousands without power in northern Ohio.

Power Outage generic graphic(WTVY)

As of 4 p.m., FirstEnergy’s website says there are just over 10,000 customers without power, Cleveland Public Power is not reporting any widespread outages and AEP is reporting 7,100.

Click your power company link above for the latest outage information.

Wind Advisories have been issued for Lorain, Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties until midnight tonight. In these counties, winds could gust 50 to 60 mph for several hours this afternoon and evening.

Click here for the latest from the 19 News First Alert Weather Team.

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Cleveland, OH

Report: Cleveland Cavaliers owner to launch bid to bring WNBA team to Northeast Ohio

Published

20 hours ago

November 20, 2024

Press Room

Report: Cleveland Cavaliers owner to launch bid to bring WNBA team to Northeast Ohio

With WNBA expansion on the horizon, multiple reports say that Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert intends to make a bid to bring a franchise back to Cleveland.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has talked about the league having 16 teams by the 2028 season. The league will be at 13 teams to start the 2025 season with the addition of the Golden State Valkyries. Toronto and Portland, Oregon have already been announced as the home of future franchises.

Gilbert, whose Rock Entertainment Group also owns the Columbus Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, in addition to the Cavaliers told CNBC, “I just feel extraordinarily confident that, should a team be given to Cleveland, in part because of the city, in part because of what sports means here, in part because of the Cavs, it would immediately be a huge success.”

Cavaliers CEO Nic Barlage also spoke to CNBC, which was the first to report on the bid, about the potential of the WNBA finding a home in Cleveland.

“We have this unique convergence of infrastructure, culture and these foundational pieces that we think make Northeast Ohio, and specifically Cleveland, a great opportunity to expand from a WNBA perspective,” he said.

Cleveland hosted one of the WNBA’s eight original teams. From 1997 to 2003, the Cleveland Rockets competed in the league before the franchise folded due to low attendance.

Last year, Columbus added a professional women’s team to its city, as it welcomed the Pro Volleyball Federation’s Columbus Fury.

Columbus also had its own professional women’s basketball team, the Columbus Quest, which lasted two seasons from 1996-1998 in the now-defunct America Basketball League.

bmackay@dispatch.com

@brimackay15

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