RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Virginia is one of just five states to receive a perfect score from a new study that ranks governments on their readiness for a major emergency or disaster.

The report released Tuesday by the nonprofit Trust For America's Health says the commonwealth fulfills 10 of the 10 criteria the group says are necessary to keep states ready for emergencies like bioterrorism, disease outbreaks or natural disasters.

Those criteria include an adequate plan to distribute emergency medicine, increased public health spending, laws limiting the liability of businesses and groups that serve in emergencies and a sufficient stockpile of medication in case of a flu pandemic.

Joining Virginia among the most prepared are Louisiana, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Wisconsin. No state met fewer than five of the 10 criteria. The lowest-scoring states were Florida, Maryland, Connecticut, Nebraska, Montana, and Arizona.

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