Newton County Disaster Risk

Newton County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 18th 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.

Newton County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (51th percentile), wildfire (51th percentile), earthquake (38th percentile), flooding (21th percentile), hurricane (18th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 51th 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.

Newton County's composite risk percentile is 18th, compared to the Arkansas state average of 56th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Newton County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Arkansas.

Yes, Newton County's tornado risk is at the 51th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Newton County is at the 21th 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.

Newton County's composite risk score of 18th 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 tornado at the 51th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.