It’s always nice to be number one for something, even if it is number one in the “cities where the earth is most likely to kill you” ranking. That’s why we’re proud to announce that Tokyo and Yokohama were declared the cities at highest risk of natural disaster by Zurich-based Swiss Reinsurance (Swiss Re) in a 2013 study, whose findings were recently announced.
Out of a total of 616 cities reviewed, Tokyo and Yokohama both rose to the top thanks to their location in both a seismically active region and on the East coast of Japan leaving them highly vulnerable to tsunamis.
The Philippines’ capital Manila came in second due to both its seismic activity and typhoon frequency. Rounding out the top three was China’s Pearl River Delta for flooding, cyclones, and a chance of earthquakes.
Not only did Japan earn the top spot, but also placed 4th (tied) with the team of Osaka and Kobe thanks to their risk of flooding and intense storms. The Land of the Rising Sun wasn’t finished yet either, as Nagoya also grabbed the sixth spot.
Top 10 Cities at Risk of Natural Disaster
1 – Tokyo/Yokohama (Japan)
2 – Manila (Philippines)
3 – Pearl River Delta (China)
4 – Osaka/Kobe (Japan) [tied]
4 – Jakarta (Indonesia) [tied]
6 – Nagoya (Japan)
7 – Kolkata (India)
8 – Shanghai (China)
9 – Los Angeles (USA)
10 – Tehran (Iran)
All in all, it seems Asia is the place most likely to get swallowed up by the world with nine of its cities appearing in the top 10. Los Angeles was the only outside city to make the list in ninth place. Still, among all of the 600+ cities included in the study, Japan came out both on top and most represented in the higher echelons. I suppose this could make it the most inherently dangerous country in the world which in turn makes me that much more of a bad-ass.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to work on my swagger.
Source: Excite News (Japanese)
Top Image: Wikipedia – NASA (edited by RocketNews24)