Disaster area? Southern California has it made in the shade
Larry W. Smith / European Pressphoto Agency
A tornado destroyed most of Picher, Okla., in May. Several twisters hit the region, killing at least 22 people. Researchers say extreme heat and cold, flooding and tornadoes are the deadliest natural hazards.
The region is actually one of the safest in the country, researchers say. Extreme heat and cold are far more deadly than earthquakes and wildfires.
Southern California may think of itself as disaster-prone, alternately bemoaning and reveling in its status as earthquake-, wildfire- and mudslide-plagued.
But it seems a reality check is in order: The region is actually one of the nation's safest -- at least in terms of human lives.
The natural hazards that bedevil us are small potatoes compared with those in other parts of the country, researchers said Wednesday in releasing a disaster map of the U.S.
clipped from: www.latimes.com 
