Limestone County Disaster Risk

Limestone County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 80th 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.

Limestone County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (90th percentile), tornado (88th percentile), flooding (77th percentile), hurricane (60th percentile), wildfire (26th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 90th 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.

Limestone County's composite risk percentile is 80th, compared to the Alabama state average of 62th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Limestone County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Alabama.

Yes, Limestone County's earthquake risk is at the 90th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Limestone County is at the 77th 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.

Limestone County's composite risk score of 80th percentile is above the Alabama state average of 62th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (90th percentile), along with tornado and flooding and hurricane risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.