San Francisco experiences earthquakes, the Great Plains have tornados, and last but not least the Rocky Mountain region has winter storms that cause avalanches and flash flooding. All three of these places are in the United States, but experience very different hazards. All three hazards can cause property damage, injury or death. For example, violent spring and summer thunderstorms in the Rocky Mountain region can produce hail that damage crops and personal property. These storms can also cause flash floods that injury and kill people. In 1976 there was a flash flood at Big Thompson Canyon that killed 139 people and caused more than $30 million in damage (233).
