(INDIANAPOLIS) - A new national study ranks Indiana among the least-prepared states in the country for disasters, while Ohio posted one of the strongest rankings in the Midwest.
The study by SmileHub evaluated all 50 states using 14 measures related to emergency preparedness, including disaster relief resources, emergency management funding, public health preparedness, community resilience and disaster recovery capacity.
Among the three states most relevant to the tri-state region:
- Ohio ranked 16th nationally
- Michigan ranked 32nd
- Indiana ranked 47th, placing it among the bottom four states in the nation for overall disaster preparedness.
Researchers found Indiana performed particularly poorly in disaster prevention planning and funding, ranking last in that category among all 50 states. The state's overall preparedness score was 33.98.
Ohio earned a score of 46.95 and ranked ninth nationally for resilience infrastructure and support capacity, a category that includes factors such as medical personnel, National Guard resources, emergency response capabilities and disaster relief organizations.
Michigan ranked 32nd overall with a score of 40.00. The study found Michigan performed relatively well in disaster risk and recovery measures but scored lower in planning and funding categories.
The top five states for disaster preparedness were Vermont, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Alaska and Rhode Island. The five lowest-ranked states were Mississippi, Nevada, Arizona, Indiana and Alabama.
SmileHub said the rankings were based on factors including emergency management budgets, public health funding, disaster mitigation planning, community resilience, disaster relief charities, emergency personnel availability and historical disaster impacts.
The study comes as emergency management officials across the Midwest continue to prepare for severe weather, flooding, tornadoes and other natural disasters that regularly affect the region.