Columbia County Disaster Risk

Columbia County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 42th 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.

Columbia County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (71th percentile), tornado (63th percentile), hurricane (61th percentile), wildfire (32th percentile), flooding (25th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake 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.

Columbia County's composite risk percentile is 42th, compared to the Arkansas state average of 56th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Columbia County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Arkansas.

Yes, Columbia County's earthquake risk is at the 71th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Columbia County is at the 25th 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.

Columbia County's composite risk score of 42th percentile is below the Arkansas state average of 56th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is earthquake at the 71th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.