This Illinois City Is the Most Climate-Resilient in the World

If you live in Illinois, you probably don't need a fancy study to remind you that our weather can definitely be dramatic.

We get brutal winter cold, ridiculous summer heat and humidity, flooding, severe thunderstorms, and we can't forget about tornadoes. Honestly, Illinois forecasts occasionally make me wonder if Mother Nature has a personal problem with us.

But apparently, Chicago can handle quite a bit of it... better than almost any other city in the world!

Tourists Clamor For A View From The Top Of The Sears Tower

Chicago Named Most Resilient City to Climate Catastrophe

A new study from AlphaGeo has named Chicago the most climate-resilient major city in the entire world. And as an Illinois resident, I have to admit, this is one of those rankings that makes me want to wave an Illinois flag around for a minute.

READ MORE: IL Gets Surprising Spot on 'America's Happiest States' List

AlphaGeo analyzed 72 of the world's largest cities using its Climate Risk & Resilience Index. The study looked at several major climate hazards, including flooding, heat stress, drought, wildfires and hurricane winds. Researchers considered both a city's physical exposure to those hazards and how well its infrastructure, policies and other adaptation measures help reduce that risk.

Here's the good news: Chicago came out on top with a Resilience-Adjusted Risk score of just 8, the lowest score in the study. (FYI, lower is better.)

So what makes Chicago so resilient? The biggest reason? Geography.

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Chicago may have to deal with lake-effect snow, but it isn't exposed to tropical storms and hurricanes like many other giant cities around the world are.

AlphaGeo's study specifically mentions Chicago's low coastal exposure and urban infrastructure as the major reasons it earned the top spot.

And let's be honest, Chicago has had plenty of practice dealing with weather, so they are pretty prepared for it.

Here are the top ten most resilient cities in the world according to AlphaGeo's study:

1. Chicago, Illinois
2. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
3. Melbourne, Australia
4. Barcelona, Spain
5. Ankara, Turkey
6. Buenos Aires, Argentina
7. Paris, France
8. Istanbul, Turkey
9. Bogota, Colombia
10. Nairobi, Kenya

And the least resilient:

1. Ahmedabad, India
2. Hyderabad, Pakistan
3. Multan, Pakistan
4. Dhaka, Bangladesh
5. Lahore, Pakistan
6. Kolkata, India
7. Faisalabad, Pakistan
8. Karachi, Pakistan
9. Chittagong, Bangladesh
10. Taipei, Taiwan

So, I guess the next time somebody complains about Chicago weather, you can remind them that apparently the city is the best in the world at surviving it.

Not bad for a city sitting next to a giant freshwater lake.