As parts of the U.S. begin to put themselves back together after two nasty hurricanes in a row, other places around the world deal with an array of natural disasters year-round. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, drought, typhoons, floods and landslides regularly swallow people and properties in the countries where natural disasters are most common in 2024. What's more: Several of these locations are highly susceptible to disaster damage because they are poor, corrupt, at war or simply lack sufficient disaster preparedness, according to the World Risk Index compiled annually by Ruhr University, Bochum, IFHV, and Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft. The slideshow above illustrates the five countries with the highest natural-disaster risk, according to the World Risk Index, which evaluates disaster risk in 193 countries. "These countries are affected by extreme natural disasters that are very frequent and have a high intensity," Katrin Radtke, a senior researcher specializing in disaster preparedness at the Ruhr University Bochum in Germany, said in media reports about the Index. "We call this a high exposure." The World Risk Index score is compiled by calculating the extent of disaster exposure, vulnerability, susceptibility and coping capacity of each nation. See also: |

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