GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., April 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As tornadoes, hail, and damaging winds tear across more than a dozen states this week, a new survey from First Onsite Property Restoration makes clear that the danger isn’t just on the horizon: most Americans are already underprepared. The First Onsite Weather and Property Survey finds that seven in 10 Americans – homeowners and renters alike – do not feel ready for a property emergency, even as severe weather has become a year-round reality.
The First Onsite Weather and Property Survey highlights a critical resilience gap among property owners. This gap is reflected in a wider set of property-related challenges tied to severe weather, including damage, disruption, and recovery costs.
“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, Customer Experience, First Onsite. “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.”
Extreme Weather Concerns
As extreme weather events become more frequent, Americans are increasingly focused on the conditions that disrupt daily life, safety, and infrastructure. Extreme heat is the top concern nationally, with 70 percent of Americans worrying about its impacts, followed by 62 percent who worry about winter storms. These events no longer function as seasonal inconveniences, but instead pose significant risks to property and operational continuity.
The environmental toll continues to weigh heavily on the public, with 60 percent of the population worried about poor air quality resulting from wildfires and 59 percent concerned about the impacts of drought. Additionally, more than half of Americans fear the effects of flooding (55 percent), while wildfires and tornadoes cause anxiety for 52 percent of the population respectively. Finally, 41 percent of Americans remain concerned about hurricanes.
The Rising Cost of Disasters: A Tale of Four Regions
While concern is national, the specific weather threats vary sharply by region. See Table 1 for the full breakdown.
- The West: Wildfire concern is highest in the West (75%), where the focus is shifting toward long-term smoke mitigation and air quality restoration—with 81% concerned about wildfire smoke, the highest figure of any region on any measure in the survey.
- The South: Hurricane anxiety peaks in the South (61%), where physical destruction remains the primary driver of the nation’s highest insurance premiums. This week, the South faces active tornado and hail threats from northeast Texas through Mississippi and Tennessee.
- The Midwest: Residents here are most concerned about winter storms (80%) — the highest single regional figure in the survey — and surging utility bills from extreme temperature swings. As today’s outbreak continues, 76% also rank tornadoes as a top worry, consistent with what communities from Missouri to Michigan are experiencing this week.
- The Northeast: Flooding (59%) and winter storms (74%) top the list, alongside the high cost of major renovation and repair as a significant barrier to property resilience.
| TABLE 1: Americans’ top weather concerns | Total | Northeast | Midwest | South | West |
| Extreme heat | 70% | 61% | 68% | 72% | 74% |
| Winter storms | 62% | 74% | 80% | 55% | 48% |
| Poor air quality/wildfires | 60% | 56% | 60% | 47% | 81% |
| Drought | 59% | 52% | 52% | 58% | 72% |
| Flooding | 55% | 59% | 54% | 57% | 51% |
| Wildfires | 52% | 42% | 43% | 47% | 75% |
| Tornadoes | 52% | 31% | 76% | 64% | 26% |
| Hurricanes | 41% | 46% | 19% | 61% | 24% |
Source: First Onsite Property Restoration and Angus Reid. Shading indicates highest regional figure per row.
Financial and Property Impacts of Extreme Weather
Financial impact is a key property concern for Americans, particularly for homeowners and businesses. The data identifies a clear hierarchy of concerns that now outweigh the immediate fear of physical damage:
- 82% of Americans are concerned about rising insurance costs
- 72% of respondents worry about the impact of power outages
- 69% of Americans are concerned about major renovations and repair costs
- 67% of Americans fear direct damage to their building or property
- 65% of respondents are concerned about mold growth and indoor air quality
- 53% of Americans worry about decreased property value
The Path Forward: Bridging the Resilience Gap
“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.”
Tools for preparedness
To help Americans prepare, First Onsite offers a range of free resources designed to support proactive property protection, including disaster supply checklists, a commercial spring melt guide, and steps to secure vulnerable properties before the next storm. For more information on proactive protection, visit First Onsite Resources.
Survey Methodology
These findings are from an Angus Reid Forum survey conducted by First Onsite Property Restoration from March 12 to March 16, 2026, among a representative sample of 1,007 Americans. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
About First Onsite: North America’s Trusted Leader in Property Restoration
First Onsite Property Restoration is one of the largest and fastest-growing emergency response planning, mitigation, and reconstruction service providers in North America. First Onsite employs over 2,500 team members and operates from more than 100 locations across Canada and the U.S. With a culture focused on harnessing the human power of its team members and a commitment to doing what’s right, the First Onsite team helps clients restore, rebuild, and rise. First Onsite is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation. For more information, go to firstonsite.com or follow @firstonsite on LinkedIn
Press Contact:
Julia Koichopolos
MAVERICK Public Relations
M: 416-938-2882
E: julia@wearemaverick.com
