[conservative cat]

After the last big earthquake in the NW (Feb 01), I looked into areas that didn't have a risk of earthquake, because I didn't want to live in an earthquake zone anymore. One was Florida (hurricanes) and I can't remember the second, but it was someplace with tornadoes, I believe.

[david06]

So you'd move your entire life because there might be a natural disaster?

I can't even imagine how long it's been since you were in a city.

[Strategerist]

Here's the National Seismic Hazard Map:

You're basically completely safe from earthquakes in South Florida, South Texas, North Wisconsin, and Minnesota and North Dakota. First two can be dispensed with due to hurricanes, of course, if you're looking at risk avoidance.

Remaining states do have tornadoes but the risk of a specific house getting hit by one is vanishingly small; people overestimate tornado damage because there are lots of tornadoes a year, and they create spectacular photogenic damage; but the damage paths are really, really, really narrow. Also people get put under a LOT of tornado watches and warnings, most of which end up with no tornado hitting them, but it creates anxiety.

One weird thing I've noticed is the Mag 7 1886 Charleston South Carolina earthquake gets very little "run" in the media or on FR. Never see articles or documentaries on it, or people mentioning it on FR. Not like there aren't pictures of damage, and good accounts of it.

[JockoManning]

Northern New Mexico seems to be pretty earthquake free but not totally. Maybe 2-3 very small ones in 50 years.