Is Arizona prepared for a natural disaster? See where a new study ranks the state

When it comes to preparing for emergency situations, Arizona may not be the most adept, a new study claimed.

According to a recent report conducted by SmileHub , a nonprofit tech company that focuses on national charity research, Arizona emerged as one of the least-equipped states to handle emergencies, taking second-to-last place in a ranking of states with the best and worst resources in disaster preparedness.

The findings, which sourced a portion of its data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency , were measured and categorized into several distinct "dimensions," underscoring potential gaps in readiness and response capabilities within each state, the report stated.

For Arizona, which ranked 49th overall in disaster readiness, the state earned low scores in covering resilience infrastructure as well as disaster prevention, planning and funding, the report stated.

Additional contributing factors to the state's near-bottom score also revealed low tallies in areas including the number of fire and police stations per capita, emergency management budget and community resilience, the assessment concluded.

According to Luke Powers, a business manager for SmileHub who compiled the data for the report, the research for the study had a primary focus on natural disasters that affect each state, gathering statistics from disaster cost and frequency maps derived from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration .

"In order to judge states in a way that we felt was more fair, we were looking at the number of climate disasters causing one billion dollars plus in damage, as well as the loss amount from those disasters," Powers said.

While SmileHub's analytics mainly focused on "general disasters" in the U.S., information pulled from the National Centers for Environmental Information, which is part of NOAA, showed that Arizona is "particularly susceptible to wildfires," Powers said.

Similarly, flooding, extreme heat, monsoons, winter weather and even earthquakes can all affect the state on large-scale levels, the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs added.

What disasters have been the most expensive for Arizona?

In a summary p rovided by NOAA, Arizona experienced 33 confirmed weather and climate disaster events, with losses exceeding $1 billion each, between 1980 and 2024.

A series of severe storms in October 2010 , which saw hail and the largest tornado outbreak in Arizona history, resulted in the costliest weather disaster in state record, with an estimated $5.4 billion in damage.

Additionally, overflow from the Gila River after excessive rainfall caused an estimated $1.2 billion in damage in 1983, leaving hundreds of homes destroyed and leading to the death of 14 people.

Do Arizona emergency officials agree with the low ranking?

For Gabriel Lavine, the director of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs , the recent findings "only tell a part of the story," citing the government's measures to mitigate disaster risk in the state as a "multi-faceted and complex topic."

"Disasters vary depending on the capabilities of the jurisdiction," Lavine said. "More qualitative context needs to be considered … which can be challenging to quantify."

According to Lavine, the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs takes an "all-hazard approach" when it comes to emergency planning and response in Arizona, identifying threats specific to the state through risk assessments and coordinating with local partners and stakeholders to provide relief and assistance to Valley communities, Lavine said.

These threats, Lavine said, involve natural disasters of "primary concern" to Arizonans, including seasonal wildfires and monsoons that affect the state each year, Lavine said.

"(Department of Emergency and Military Affairs) drills down into what our preparedness gaps are and over time, work on closing those gaps through various local, state and federal funding sources to address state needs," Lavine said.

In a unification of "several state partners," Department of Emergency and Military Affairs works closely with both state and local agencies throughout the Valley, providing assistance and expertise to areas that require relief from natural disasters, Lavine said.

Lavine added that other projects, such as disaster policy reinforcement and community outreach programs, are also engaged in providing emergency assistance.

Additionally, branches within the division that are dedicated to mitigation efforts, resource management and reducing the severity of disasters remain in place, Lavine said.

However, despite federal funding and grants for these efforts, "tight" budget deficits can make emergency preparedness and response "challenging" for Arizona, according to Lavine.

Despite these obstacles, however, Lavine ensured that Valley communities receive "top priority" when it comes to aid in the face of natural disasters.

"DEMA has a community approach," Lavine said. "We make sure that our state and communities are ready as disasters unfold in order to roll into recovery."

What does Arizona's emergency preparedness look like?

Recovery, as Lavine explained, begins with the "preparedness phase."

"We have a tendency to think of recovery as after the disaster," Lavine said. "In reality, recovery starts before the disaster starts."

Ron Coleman, a spokesperson for the Maricopa County Emergency Management agency, said the county's first responders and communities are "more than capable" of handling emergency situations in the face of adversity.

"For Maricopa County, the message is out there. People are listening on what to do and how to prepare (for disasters)," Coleman said. "There are very few things that would happen in the city of Phoenix that they wouldn't be capable of handling."

With more than half of Arizona's population living in Maricopa County, Coleman's division focuses largely on "spreading mass awareness" to the public, he said. This includes sending out cellphone alerts on imminent disasters in the area and performing regular drill exercises with local partners, Coleman added.

"We put lot of effort into making sure people are aware of what disasters are out there … and communicating on the individual level what people can do to protect themselves," Coleman said.

In addition to messaging and "ongoing communication" with Valley residents, efforts in public education and emergency planning and prevention remain high priority within the department, Coleman said, citing that most of Arizona's counties are "all structured the same way."

While not directly a first-response agency, the county's emergency management division works closely with the Valley's various police and fire departments in a "support role," providing assistance and aid to local partners when called upon, Coleman explained.

These endeavors can also involve supplying additional resources and equipment as well as coordinating with nonprofit groups in reconstruction efforts, Coleman continued.

Charitable organizations that the department coordinates with, such as American Red Cross , also contribute to damage assessment and disaster relief aid, Coleman added.

While reaffirming that most Valley first responders are "capable of handling most things on their own," the county's Emergency Department is "quick to jump in" to assist unincorporated territories outside of the Phoenix area that may lack certain resources and require additional aid when disasters strike, Coleman said, citing the Gila River flood of 2022 as an example of their duties.

In alignment with their role as a relief agency, Arizona's "unique climate patterns" and annual natural phenomena make disasters "mostly predictable" for the division, Coleman said, commenting that SmileHub's report does not accurately reflect issues tailored specifically to the state.

"The major disasters that are out there (for Maricopa County) are predictable," Coleman said. "We know that every late spring into the summer there's most likely going to be a variety of wildfires around Phoenix metro area. We know that every July and August, the monsoon comes. Those are predictable things that happen."

'Be as self-sufficient as you can'

There are a number of things that residents can do to ensure their safety in the event of a disaster, Lavine said.

"Individual resiliency comes down to having a plan and being as self-sufficient as you can," Lavine explained. "Self-sustainability props up local communities, allows neighbors to help neighbors and lets government officials focus on reestablishing larger structures."

That sense of community, Lavine says, is the key to survival in any emergency situation, which he believes Arizonans "excel in."

"A lot of times, I think that emergency management has a tendency to view the community as a liability, as a victim, as opposed to what the community really is," Lavine said. "And what they really are is a resource."

"Community members are a part of the response," Lavine added. "Community is part of the solution as we move forward."

What can you do to prepare for an emergency?

No matter the hazard, there are " four important steps " that any individual should take in the event of an emergency, according to Department of Emergency and Military Affairs.

• Make a plan. This involves developing family and evacuation plans, which should include meeting locations, communication methods and out-of-town contacts.
• Build a go kit. Emergency go kits should include flashlights, extra batteries, family prescriptions, a weather radio, copies of important documents and enough nonperishable food and water for at least 72 hours, Department of Emergency and Military Affairs says.
• Be informed. This can mean learning the emergency plans for your work or school as well as familiarizing yourself with local hazards where you live and travel, according to Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. Similarly, subscribing to weather forecasts and emergency alerts on your phone helps those stay "connected digitally," the department added.
• Inspire others. Reinvigorate others with your positive preparedness example and mindset, Department of Emergency and Military Affairs suggested. Share what you know and find a way to include others in disaster preparations, the department added.

Additionally, a Natural Hazards mapping tool is available to the public, which allows individuals to type in their address and find updated hazards within their area.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Is Arizona prepared for a natural disaster? See where a new study ranks the state