As many New Yorkers learned after Superstorm Sandy, the mice, rats and roaches that live underground were displaced along with the human residents.
It's likely to be the same picture in the Southeast after Hurricane Matthew passes by. And, unfortunately, some of those areas were already home to large populations of vermin.
Along with the rest of the preparations you're taking in advance of the storm, having the phone number of a reliable exterminator might be a good idea.
But what were the most pest-infested cities in the United States before Hurricane Matthew disturbed the vermin? The answers, from the 2013 “American Housing Survey“ by the Census Bureau (the most recent data available) might surprise you.
If you live in one of these 10 areas, you should definitely look for infestation by rodents or roaches when you're looking at new houses to buy or places to rent. It's an important item for businesses, too, especially any hospitality, food or beverage business.
Here's a look at the 10 cities with the highest overall percentage of households with a pest infestation problem:
(Photo: Reinhold Matay/AP Photo)
|10. Orlando, Fla.
Rats: 1.4 percent.
Mice: 1.2 percent.
Roaches: 30.3 percent.
Unknown: 0.7 percent.
Total: 33.6 percent.
Best known as the theme park capital of the United States with more than 12 of them, Orlando is the home of Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld, among others.
According to the city's website, Orlando's regional leaders have worked to diversify Orlando's economy to create high-tech, high-wage careers for residents in cutting-edge industries such as digital media and technology, life sciences and modeling, simulation and training.
(Photo: Alan Diaz/AP Photo)
|9. Miami
Rats: 1.8 percent.
Mice: 2 percent.
Roaches: 30.4 percent.
Unknown: 0.5 percent.
Total: 34.7 percent.
A favorite vacation spot and a place for retirees and snowbirds, Miami has a tropical climate that is vulnerable to hurricanes, as can be seen from the threat of Hurricane Matthew, and the location of the National Hurricane Center.
Also popular with cruise lines, PortMiami processed nearly 4.9 million multi-day passengers—more than any other port in the world. It's also a major port for shipping to and from Latin America as well as Asia.
(Photo: iStock)
|8. New York City
Rats: 1.7 percent.
Mice: 13.9 percent.
Roaches: 18.7 percent.
Unknown: 1.2 percent.
Total: 35.4 percent.
Perhaps the most well-known city on this list, New York City has more than 8 million residents living in the five boroughs — more than one-third of whom were born outside the United States.
New York is a global financial center, hosting the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and several major banks and financial services firms. The city also is known for high fashion, restaurants and its culture, which includes Broadway theaters, the concert venues of Lincoln Center and museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Among its most recognizable landmarks is the Statue of Liberty, gracing the harbor since 1876.
(Photo: iStock)
|7. Austin, Texas
Rats: 2.1 percent.
Mice: 4.2 percent.
Roaches: 28.2 percent.
Unknown: 1.1 percent.
Total: 35.6 percent.
Austin is the state capital of Texas, known for its music scene and the Austin City Limits annual festival, among other things. It's also the location of the University of Texas at Austin, the university's main campus. The companies that have headquarters or regional offices in Austin include Texas Instruments, Whole Foods Market and Dell Inc.
(Photo: iStock)
|6. San Antonio
Rats: 1.7 percent.
Mice: 6 percent.
Roaches: 27.9 percent.
Unknown: 1.3 percent.
Total: 36.8 percent.
San Antonio, in south-central Texas, is perhaps best known for the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, during the Texas war of independence from Mexico. In part because of its proximity to several military installations, San Antonio is also the headquarters of United Services Automobile Association, a financial services company and insurance carrier that serves the military and veterans market.
Related: My homeowners' policy covers that?
(Photo: R. Donlon, PropertyCasualty360.com)
|5. Memphis, Tenn.
Rats: 2.3 percent.
Mice: 11 percent.
Roaches: 25.7 percent.
Unknown: 0.7 percent.
Total: 39.8 percent.
Memphis is more than the location of Elvis Presley's Graceland and Sun Studios where Elvis and legendary blues artist B.B. King recorded. It's also the location of the National Civil Rights Museum, which is housed in the Lorraine Motel where Rev. Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968.
(Photo: Scott Martin/AP Photo)
|4. Tampa, Fla.
Rats: 1.8 percent.
Mice: 1 percent.
Roaches: 37.6 percent.
Unknown: 0.5 percent.
Total: 40.9 percent.
Tampa a city along Florida's Gulf Coast, ranks second behind Miami as a major cruise port and it's also an important cargo port. Tampa also has three major league sports teams: the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning and MLB's Tampa Bay Rays.
(Photo: David J. Phillip/AP Photo)
|3. Houston
Rats: 1.6 percent.
Mice: 4.3 percent.
Roaches: 34 percent.
Unknown: 1.4 percent.
Total: 42 percent.
Houston is well known as the home of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as well as a center for the U.S. oil and gas industry. The city is also a major shipping port for cargo, ranking 15 globally, according to the American Association of Port Authorities.
(Photo: Dave Martin/AP Photo)
|2. Birmingham, Ala.
Rats: 1.1 percent.
Mice: 9.7 percent.
Roaches: 29.9 percent.
Unknown: 1.4 percent.
Total: 42 percent.
Birmingham is the largest city in the state, and is often referred to as the “cradle of the American Civil Rights Movement.” Steel production is an important part of the city's economy along with biotechnology and medical research, primarily at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
(Photo: Max Becherer/AP Photo)
|1. New Orleans
Nicknamed the “Big Easy,” New Orleans comes in at the top of the list with the highest number of residents reporting seeing rats and roaches. The city is best known for its annual Mardi Gras celebrations, jazz festival and restaurants and bars.
(Source: Statista)
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Rosalie Donlon
Rosalie Donlon is the editor in chief of ALM's insurance and tax publications, including NU Property & Casualty magazine and NU PropertyCasualty360.com. You can contact her at [email protected].
