Desha County Disaster Risk

Desha County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 33th 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.

Desha County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (84th percentile), hurricane (63th percentile), tornado (56th percentile), flooding (33th percentile), wildfire (3th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 84th 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.

Desha County's composite risk percentile is 33th, compared to the Arkansas state average of 56th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Desha County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Arkansas.

Yes, Desha County's earthquake risk is at the 84th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Desha County is at the 33th 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.

Desha County's composite risk score of 33th 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 84th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.