America's Resilience Gap: Worried But Unprepared for Climate Disasters

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, CO – April 30, 2026 – As a barrage of tornadoes, hail, and damaging winds sweeps across more than a dozen states, a new report reveals a quieter but equally threatening storm brewing within American households. A staggering seven in 10 Americans feel unprepared for a property emergency, exposing a critical 'resilience gap' between a growing fear of severe weather and the practical steps needed to withstand it.

The findings, part of the First Onsite Weather and Property Survey, paint a stark picture of a nation on edge but underprepared. Despite near-constant headlines of record-breaking heat, catastrophic floods, and intensifying storms, the survey indicates that for most homeowners and renters, anxiety has not translated into action.

“Severe weather is no longer a seasonal concern—it’s a year-round reality impacting homes and businesses across the country,” said Jenny Lindström, SVP of Customer Experience at First Onsite Property Restoration, the company behind the survey. “What this data shows is that while awareness is high, preparedness hasn’t kept pace. Too many people know the risks but still don’t feel ready when disaster strikes.”

The Widening Chasm: Concern vs. Action

The gap between awareness and readiness is a well-documented phenomenon that experts say has profound implications. The First Onsite survey, conducted by the Angus Reid Forum, highlights that this disconnect is not just a feeling, but a widespread reality. This finding is echoed by federal data, which provides a deeper look into the national psyche on disaster readiness.

According to FEMA's 2023 National Household Survey, while a slight majority of Americans (51%) now believe they are prepared for a disaster, this figure still leaves nearly half the country feeling vulnerable. More tellingly, the FEMA report uncovered a significant confidence crisis: only 50% of people were confident that taking preparedness steps would actually help them in a crisis. This psychological barrier may help explain why, despite 77% of Americans believing they will likely be impacted by disasters, crucial preparedness actions lag behind.

While basic steps like assembling supply kits have seen an uptick, more communal and structural efforts, such as planning with neighbors or making home retrofits, remain troublingly low. This widening chasm between passive concern and proactive defense leaves millions of properties and lives unnecessarily exposed.

A Nation of Worries: Regional Threats and Rising Anxiety

While extreme heat ranks as the top national concern (70%), the specific anxieties of Americans are deeply shaped by their regional climate realities. The survey data reveals a country segmented by its most immediate threats.

In the West, the air itself has become a source of fear. An overwhelming 81% of residents are concerned about poor air quality from wildfire smoke, the highest figure for any single issue in any region. This concern is grounded in science, with a NOAA-supported study confirming that climate change is the primary driver of increased fire weather, creating a "thirsty atmosphere" that fuels larger, more intense blazes.

In the South, the traditional dread of hurricane season is intensifying, with 61% of residents citing hurricanes as a top worry. Climate change is fueling this anxiety, as warmer ocean temperatures lead to stronger storms and rising sea levels exacerbate deadly storm surges.

Meanwhile, the Midwest is currently grappling with the very threats that keep its residents up at night. With 80% concerned about winter storms and 76% worried about tornadoes—coinciding with the severe tornado outbreak currently hitting the region—the threat is immediate and visceral.

In the Northeast, chronic flooding (59% concern) and severe winter storms (74% concern) dominate, compounded by an aging housing stock and the high cost of repairs, creating a unique set of vulnerabilities.

Beyond the Storm: The Crushing Financial Fallout

The survey uncovers a crucial shift in the American mindset: the financial toll of extreme weather is becoming a more significant source of stress than the storms themselves. For a majority, the fear of rising bills, repair costs, and plunging property values now outweighs the fear of direct physical damage.

An astounding 82% of Americans are concerned about the rising cost of insurance, making it the number one property-related worry. This fear is not unfounded. National data shows that home insurance premiums have skyrocketed, rising 55% since 2019. In the first half of 2024 alone, homeowners saw an average 17.4% premium hike for new policies. The crisis has led major insurers to limit coverage or exit high-risk markets in states like California and Florida entirely, leaving homeowners with fewer, more expensive options.

Compounding the issue is the soaring cost of rebuilding. The cumulative cost to repair homes surged 55% between 2020 and 2022, driven by supply chain issues and labor shortages. This has led to a dangerous trend where an estimated two-thirds of U.S. homes are now underinsured, unable to cover the full cost of reconstruction after a total loss.

This new economic reality is also reshaping the housing market. Climate risk is quietly eroding home values in exposed areas, with studies showing significant price drops in communities adjacent to wildfires or prone to flooding. As insurance becomes unobtainable, properties can lose their mortgageability, threatening the primary source of wealth for millions of American families.

Forging Resilience: A Call for Collective Action

Despite the daunting scale of the problem, experts stress that this trajectory is not irreversible. “The situations that break people aren't always the biggest storms — they're the ones nobody prepared for,” said Lindström. “The gap between concern and action is exactly where we work every day, and it's a gap that's entirely closeable.”

Closing that gap requires a multi-faceted approach involving government, industry, and individuals. Federal initiatives like FEMA's 'Ready.gov' campaign and its “Whole Community” philosophy aim to build a culture of preparedness from the ground up. At the same time, the insurance industry is beginning to take a more proactive role. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) recently adopted a National Resilience Strategy, signaling a shift toward incentivizing mitigation through policy and public partnerships.

One of the most effective tools for resilience lies in building codes. States like Florida, which adopted a stringent statewide building code after Hurricane Andrew, have seen a 72% reduction in wind-related property damage, proving that structural resilience saves both money and lives. The widespread adoption and enforcement of modern, hazard-resistant building codes are seen by experts as a critical, non-negotiable step.

Ultimately, bridging the resilience gap will depend on a collaborative effort. Public-private partnerships that bring together the resources of government agencies, the expertise of companies in the restoration and construction sectors, and the engagement of local communities are essential to turning the tide against the growing threat of climate-driven disasters.