Elmore County Disaster Risk

Elmore County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 72th 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.

Elmore County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: flooding (81th percentile), tornado (76th percentile), hurricane (75th percentile), earthquake (75th percentile), wildfire (62th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is flooding at the 81th 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.

Elmore County's composite risk percentile is 72th, compared to the Alabama state average of 62th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Elmore County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Alabama.

Yes, Elmore County's flooding risk is at the 81th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type.

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.

Elmore County's composite risk score of 72th percentile is above the Alabama state average of 62th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by flooding exposure (81th percentile), along with tornado and hurricane and earthquake and wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.