New Report: Maine Is One of the Most 'Disaster-Ready' States

According to a new study, our Pine Tree State is one of the most prepared and ready for a disaster.

Get our free mobile app

Listen, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Maine and Mainers are ready for a disaster—we’re ready for anything. We’re resilient. We face a lot: blizzards, bone-chilling cold temps, hurricane-force winds, flooding, and sometimes a mix of those all at once.

Credit: Canva / Getty Stock

Rocky said it best, ‘It's not about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.’ And that’s what Mainers do: keep moving forward.

But how does one even determine the most ‘disaster-ready’ states? And what does ‘disaster-ready’ even mean?

Credit: Canva / Getty Stock

The publication SmileHub recently put together a study, highlighting '2024’s Best States for Disaster Preparedness.’

SmileHub's methodology for determining '2024’s Best States for Disaster Preparedness' involved comparing the 50 states across three key dimensions: Resilience Infrastructure & Support Capacity, Disaster Prevention Planning & Funding, and Disaster Risk & Lasting Damage.

Credit: Canva / Getty Stock

SmileHub used 14 relevant metrics, each graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the highest level of preparedness. For certain metrics, the square root of the population size was used to avoid overcompensation for population differences. Each state’s weighted average across all metrics was calculated to determine its overall score, which was then used to rank the states.

So, how did Maine rank in this report in regard to being ‘disaster-ready?’

Credit: Canva / Getty Stock

In SmileHub’s study of ‘2024’s Best States for Disaster Preparedness,’ Maine ranked 14th overall. While it placed 39th in ‘Resilience Infrastructure & Support Capacity’ and 25th in ‘Disaster Prevention Planning & Funding,’ Maine excelled in ‘Disaster Risk & Lasting Damage,’ ranking first in the nation.

Additionally, Maine achieved a high ‘Community Resilience Score,’ securing the 5th spot in this category.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF

Mainers Advised to NOT Travel to These 9 Places

The United States Department of State regularly issues travel advisories for Americans to help keep them safe during their vacations. There are four levels of advisories: exercise normal precautions, exercise increased caution, reconsider travel and do not travel. These are nine of the 19 destinations under a Level 4: DO NOT TRAVEL advisory.

12 Items to Avoid Buying at Gas Stations and Convenience Stores

If you're stopping at a gas station or convenience store in Maine you should avoid buying these specific items.

The Top 10 Most Stolen Vehicles in Maine

It's very possible that the car you're driving around every day is one of the most targeted vehicles in our Pine Tree State to steal, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Gallery Credit: Jordan Verge

Source: New Report: Maine Is One of the Most ‘Disaster-Ready’ States