Which natural disaster will likely destroy your home?

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What are the chances your home will get damaged by a tornado, hurricane, earthquake or fire? Click on the map above to find out.

Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi boast the dubious distinction of having the highest risk of getting hit by a natural disaster -- whether it be a tornado, earthquake or hurricane, according to RealtyTrac, which analyzed data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to assess natural disaster risk for more than 3,000 U.S. counties.

In Alabama's Jefferson and Tuscaloosa counties, for example, tornadoes are seven times more likely to occur than the average U.S. county. The last huge tornado, a multi-vortex, hit three years ago causing 64 fatalities and $2.4 billion in damage.

Not only that, but hurricanes are another threat to the region. And that double whammy means premiums for property insurance can be much more expensive. Alabama's average homeowner's policy cost more than $1,100 a year versus a little more than $500 a year for Idaho, where insurance is the cheapest, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Related: Damaged home? How to get an insurer to pay up

RealtyTrac reported that 55% of homes in the U.S. are either in "very high" or "high" risk zones.

"The potential risk of a natural disaster may not be the first item on most homebuyer checklists for a dream home, but prudent buyers will certainly take this into consideration," said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac.

As those who lost homes in Superstorm Sandy discovered, one major storm can be costly.

 

Sandy hit in 2012, killing 48 people and causing $32 billion in damage in New York State, most of it in New York City's five counties.

People who have rebuilt or bought homes in the hardest hit areas are facing sky-high flood insurance premiums of as much as $10,000 or more.

Finding a home that lasts

When buying a home in a hurricane-prone area check out the home's quality of construction and its ability to withstand a storm, said Blomquist.

Houses built in flood zones should be built on pilings high off the ground so storm surge waters can flow beneath without damaging the upper parts of the home.

Related: Dream beach homes for sale

With homes built in areas with high earthquake activity, like California, pay attention to how the home is framed and what can happen to some architectural details during an earthquake.

There's not too much one can do to withstand a fierce tornado but storm shelters can at least increase the odds of surviving a storm, even if your house does not.

Want to avoid all of these natural disasters altogether? Try moving to Minnesota or Montana. RealtyTrac reported that 23% of homes were located in medium risk counties while 22% were in low or very low risk counties.

Three of the four lowest risk counties are in Minnesota, outside Minneapolis, and on the prairie lands of Montana, around Billings. In these places, the biggest risk may be frost bite or bursting a water pipe.

First Published: June 19, 2014: 7:03 PM ET

How Croatia can cash in on its natural beauty

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Croatia’s future: Costa Brava or Basque Country? var mps = {}; mps.pagevars = {"instance":"cnbc.com-relaunch","cat":"Emerging Europe","id":"101814472","hierarchy":"Economy|World Economy|Emerging Europe","type":"cnbcnewsstory","subtype":"special_report","keywords":"This is my meta keywords append.","description":"This is my meta descriptions override.","slug":"Croatia tourism Barnato 140709 EU","hline":"Emerging Europe","modified":"2014-07-09 12:47:40"}; var _comscore = _comscore || []; _comscore.push({ c1: "2", c2: "1000004" }); (function() { var s = document.createElement("script"), el = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.async = true; s.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js"; el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el); })(); (function(d) { var e = d.createElement('script'); e.src = d.location.protocol + '//bounceexchange.com/tag/1021/i.js'; e.async = true; d.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(e); }(document)); GOLoading...>> View All Results for ""

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GO HOME EDITIONNewsEconomyFinanceHealth CareReal EstateRetailWealthAutosEarningsEnergyMediaPoliticsCommentarySpecial ReportsAsiaEuropeMarketsPre-MarketsU.S.AsiaEuropeStocksCommoditiesCurrenciesBondsFundsETFsInvestingFinancial AdvisorsPersonal FinanceCNBC ExplainsPortfolioWatchlistStock ScreenerFund ScreenerTechRe/codeMobileSocial MediaEnterpriseGamingCybersecuritySmall BusinessFranchisingFinancingManagementVideoLatest VideoDigital WorkshopU.S. VideoAsia VideoEurope VideoCEO InterviewsAnalyst InterviewsFull EpisodesShowsWatch LiveCNBC U.S.CNBC Asia-PacificCNBC EuropeCNBC WorldFull EpisodesWatch LivePRORegister|Sign InMember CenterMember CenterSign OutX Emerging Europe Emerging EuropeUkrainePolandHungaryRomaniaCroatiaLatviaRussiaBulgariaSlovakiaCroatia’s future: Costa Brava or Basque Country?Katy Barnato in Zagreb, Croatia42 Mins AgoCNBC.comSHARES

Croatia's pristine beaches, clear seas and warm weather meant that it wasn't long before tourists returned after the 1991-1995 independence war. Now, in the face of booming tourism, the country is faced with something of a dilemma: how to build on its natural assets without spoiling them.

"Croatia has this beautiful coastline and nice weather—it is like a natural resource they have. Norway has oil and Croatia has coastline. They should do everything they can to exploit it," William Bartlett, an academic specializing in south-east Europe at the London School of Economics (LSE) told CNBC.

Bryn Colton I Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe Croatian national flag, left, sits alongside the European Union one

Tourism is now Croatia's largest industry, accounting for 12.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) last year. This is seen rising to 17.1 percent over the next 10 years.

Around 12.9 million tourists visited last year, with the country a hotspot for holidaymakers from Germany and nearby Italy and Slovenia (another Yugoslav successor state), as well as Russians and other Europeans.

The government hopes tourism will help Croatia recover from a near six-year recession, and plans to invest 7 billion euros ($9.5 billion) in the industry by 2020, creating up to 32,000 jobs.

New Balearic Islands?

There are doubts, though, about the expansion underfoot, with the high-rise sprawl of Spanish resorts like the Costa Brava illustrating the perils of ill-development.

Read MoreMeet sluggish Club Med's easterly member: Croatia

"We have to preserve all this beauty, but also turn it into money. If it is all concrete, we are going to have a new Balearic Islands of Spain—that is not the nicest spot. I have been there and would not like to repeat the experience," said Emil Tedeschi, the CEO of Atlantic Grupa, a Croat multinational consumer goods company.

He said that massive sums had been spent on building hotels, but not on necessary infrastructure like water and sewage systems, nor the marinas and petrol stations needed for yachts.

"I would stop all building for two years, and just spend it thinking, planning and designing," Tedeschi added.

Rather than building more hotels, Croatia should work to boost occupancy rates by extending the tourist season beyond high summer, said Ivica Mudrinic, head of the Croatian Employers' Association and a senior vice-president at Deutsche Telekom.

Mudrinic told CNBC that outdoor sports like cycling, hiking and rafting could boost tourism when temperatures were milder.

"If you are able to utilize existing hotel infrastructure, you are talking about a significant increase in revenues," he said.

Tedeschi, meanwhile, suggested "culinary tourism" as a possible alternative, touting the success of Spain's rainy Basque region in attracting visitors.

"This part of Spain was not the top tourist spot, but it became a big destination because of gastronomy," Tedeschi said.

Eastern Europe: The next vacation hotspot? Alan Copson | AWL Images | Getty Images

'Highly exposed'

LSE's Bartlett noted that Croatia's dependence on tourism left it highly exposed to downturns in the economic cycle, particularly in Europe.

"Croatia could smooth that cycle by making better use of its tax revenue to provide incomes in periods when the tourism industry is weak," he said. "That is a question of managing public finances better."

He added that Croatia could also try levying extra tourist taxes. A daily visitor tax is already in place, varying between 3.5 kunas-7.0 kunas ($0.63-$1.26) depending on location and time of year.

"You already get a quite a lot of tourism in places like Dubrovnik, where floods of people come off cruise ships and cause people jams—the government could impose a high congestion charge," Bartlett said.

—By CNBC's Katy Barnato in Zagreb, Croatia

Related Topics Emerging Europe Tourism Eastern Europe Katy Barnato US Dollar / Croatian Kuna FX Spot Rate World Economy Europe: News Europe Emerging Markets SymbolPrice Change%ChangeHRK=--- Featured Meet Club Med’s eastern member: Croatia This "small country for great holidays” suffers the same malaise that hampers the Med's other holiday hot spots.

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Which natural disaster will likely destroy your home?

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
What are the chances your home will get damaged by a tornado, hurricane, earthquake or fire? Click on the map above to find out.

Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi boast the dubious distinction of having the highest risk of getting hit by a natural disaster -- whether it be a tornado, earthquake or hurricane, according to RealtyTrac, which analyzed data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to assess natural disaster risk for more than 3,000 U.S. counties.

In Alabama's Jefferson and Tuscaloosa counties, for example, tornadoes are seven times more likely to occur than the average U.S. county. The last huge tornado, a multi-vortex, hit three years ago causing 64 fatalities and $2.4 billion in damage.

Not only that, but hurricanes are another threat to the region. And that double whammy means premiums for property insurance can be much more expensive. Alabama's average homeowner's policy cost more than $1,100 a year versus a little more than $500 a year for Idaho, where insurance is the cheapest, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Related: Damaged home? How to get an insurer to pay up

RealtyTrac reported that 55% of homes in the U.S. are either in "very high" or "high" risk zones.

"The potential risk of a natural disaster may not be the first item on most homebuyer checklists for a dream home, but prudent buyers will certainly take this into consideration," said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac.

As those who lost homes in Superstorm Sandy discovered, one major storm can be costly.

 

Sandy hit in 2012, killing 48 people and causing $32 billion in damage in New York State, most of it in New York City's five counties.

People who have rebuilt or bought homes in the hardest hit areas are facing sky-high flood insurance premiums of as much as $10,000 or more.

Finding a home that lasts

When buying a home in a hurricane-prone area check out the home's quality of construction and its ability to withstand a storm, said Blomquist.

Houses built in flood zones should be built on pilings high off the ground so storm surge waters can flow beneath without damaging the upper parts of the home.

Related: Dream beach homes for sale

With homes built in areas with high earthquake activity, like California, pay attention to how the home is framed and what can happen to some architectural details during an earthquake.

There's not too much one can do to withstand a fierce tornado but storm shelters can at least increase the odds of surviving a storm, even if your house does not.

Want to avoid all of these natural disasters altogether? Try moving to Minnesota or Montana. RealtyTrac reported that 23% of homes were located in medium risk counties while 22% were in low or very low risk counties.

Three of the four lowest risk counties are in Minnesota, outside Minneapolis, and on the prairie lands of Montana, around Billings. In these places, the biggest risk may be frost bite or bursting a water pipe.

First Published: June 19, 2014: 7:03 PM ET