Though Godzilla isn’t listed as a threat, Tokyo has the dubious distinction of being the world’s most vulnerable city when it comes to natural disasters, according to a report released Wednesday by reinsurance firm Swiss Re.
“When we look at river flood, storm surge, tsunami, wind storm and earthquake combined, the Tokyo/Yokohama region is the most at-risk city in the world,” says Megan Linkin, natural hazards expert with Swiss Re.
The study shows that floods endanger more city residents than any other natural peril, followed by earthquakes and storms.
The only U.S. city to make the “top 10” list of most-vulnerable world cities is Los Angeles, primarily because of its risk of earthquakes. LA ranked ninth on the list, behind eight cities and metro areas in Asia.
The world’s most vulnerable cities, with population:
Tokyo-Yokohama, Japan, (57.1 million); Manila, Philippines, (34.6 million); Pearl-River Delta, China, (34.5 million); Osaka-Kobe, Japan, (32.1 million); Jakarta, Indonesia, (27.7 million); Nagoya, Japan, (22.9 million); Kolkata, India, (17.9 million); Shanghai, China, (16.7 million); Los Angeles (16.4 million); and Tehran, Iran, (15.6 million).
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