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Detroit Named No. 1 Safest City...From Natural Disasters

DETROIT (CBS Detroit) - Detroit has had its share of negative news over the past few years -- political corruption, high crime, bankruptcy and droves of residents moving out of the city, to name a few.

But in a national safety ranking, Detroit tops the list in a positive way.

Based on six categories of weather statistics from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an analysis by insurance shopping network Homeownersinsurance.com has named the nation's top cities safest from natural disasters in a recent article.

Detroit was ranked No. 1, ahead of Charlotte, N.C., San Francisco, Denver and Boston.

According to the poll, "Detroit came out way ahead, with only 3 major disaster declarations and four total declarations from the Federal Emergency Management Agency during the last 10 years. Detroit's position on Lake Huron regulates extreme weather patterns and also subjects it to colder temperatures.

"When there are weather 'events,' the most likely are hail – still only 1 in every 4 of them – and flooding (also 1 in 4). Both are products of occasionally intense spring and summer thunderstorms. Detroit residents may have several concerns, but natural disasters don't top the list!"

The criteria for the poll included -- must be a top 23 most populous city in the United States, the total number of weather events, the total cost of property damage, and the total event days with personal injury over the last 10 years, the number of major disaster declarations and the number of total disaster declarations made by FEMA over the last 10 years and average insurance premiums by state.

So there you go, Detroiters. Celebrate in the fact that natural disasters (generally) like to leave us alone.

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