Lowndes County Disaster Risk

Lowndes County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 29th 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.

Lowndes County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (71th percentile), tornado (67th percentile), earthquake (50th percentile), flooding (32th percentile), wildfire (31th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 71th 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.

Lowndes County's composite risk percentile is 29th, compared to the Alabama state average of 62th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Lowndes County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Alabama.

Yes, Lowndes County's hurricane risk is at the 71th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Lowndes County is at the 32th 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.

Lowndes County's composite risk score of 29th percentile is below the Alabama state average of 62th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is hurricane at the 71th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.