After the wild weather we've been seeing around the country this week, the timing couldn't be better for a new list from the Farmers' Almanac.
They've ranked the 10 worst-weather states in America, based on things like tornadoes, hurricanes and hail.
And before you ask, yes, that's hail.
Although after some of the weather we've seen lately, “hell” might also seem appropriate.
The No. 1 spot goes to Texas, which averages about 155 tornadoes a year and has experienced 190 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters since 1980.
Texas apparently looked at every possible weather disaster and said, “We'll take one of each.”
Here's the rest of the list:
2. Florida
More than 120 documented hurricane landfalls since 1851. Florida basically has hurricane season as a recurring calendar event.
3. Louisiana
Ten billion-dollar flood events since 1980, plus plenty of major hurricanes.
4. Kansas
Right in the heart of Tornado Alley, averaging about 96 tornadoes a year. There's no place like home... especially if home has a basement.
5. Oklahoma
About 68 tornadoes a year and one of the highest numbers of violent tornadoes in the country.
6. Colorado
The nation's hail capital, averaging around 94 hail events a year. Apparently, even the sky occasionally throws rocks at Colorado.
7. Missouri
A perfect recipe for severe weather, with Gulf moisture, tornadoes and major river flooding all coming together.
8. Georgia
Georgia has recorded 134 billion-dollar disasters since 1980, with more than $150 billion in cumulative damage.
9. Illinois
Right in the Midwest severe-weather corridor, with 128 billion-dollar disasters since 1980.
10. North Carolina
Tropical systems can stall and dump huge amounts of rain across the state, especially around the Appalachian foothills.
And What About Michigan?
Here's the good news: Michigan didn't make the Top 10.
And that's probably because Michigan has a different approach to weather.
We don't necessarily need a hurricane to ruin our day.
We have lake-effect snow, freezing rain, potholes, construction season, and that magical Michigan spring day when it's 72 degrees at lunch and you're scraping ice off your windshield by dinner.
We also have the famous Michigan weather forecast:
“Mostly sunny, with a chance of pretty much anything.”
But give us a beautiful fall day with colorful trees, a cider mill, a warm donut and a little sunshine, and suddenly we're willing to forgive Mother Nature for everything she did to us last winter.
So congratulations, Michigan.
We didn't make the list of America's 10 worst-weather states.
We'll just keep doing what we do best:
complaining about the weather while simultaneously checking the forecast every 20 minutes.









