Cherokee County Disaster Risk

Cherokee County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 63th percentile nationally out of 3,144 counties. This composite score reflects the county's overall exposure to natural hazards including floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes, weighted by expected annual loss and social vulnerability.

Cherokee County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (83th percentile), earthquake (73th percentile), flooding (70th percentile), wildfire (68th percentile), hurricane (63th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 83th percentile nationally. These scores are derived from FEMA's National Risk Index, which analyzes expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience for each hazard type.

Cherokee County's composite risk percentile is 63th, compared to the Alabama state average of 62th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Cherokee County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Alabama.

Yes, Cherokee County's tornado risk is at the 83th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Cherokee County is at the 70th percentile.

FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) calculates risk scores for 18 natural hazard types across all U.S. counties and census tracts. The composite score combines Expected Annual Loss (estimated dollar losses from each hazard), Social Vulnerability (demographic factors affecting disaster impact), and Community Resilience (ability to recover). Percentile scores rank each county against all 3,144 U.S. counties, and risk ratings range from Very Low to Very High.

Cherokee County's composite risk score of 63th percentile is above the Alabama state average of 62th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (83th percentile), along with earthquake and flooding and wildfire and hurricane risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.