Sevier County Disaster Risk

Sevier County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 65th 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.

Sevier County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (64th percentile), earthquake (62th percentile), wildfire (58th percentile), hurricane (54th percentile), flooding (48th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 64th 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.

Sevier County's composite risk percentile is 65th, compared to the Arkansas state average of 56th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Sevier County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Arkansas.

Yes, Sevier County's tornado risk is at the 64th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Sevier County is at the 48th 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.

Sevier County's composite risk score of 65th percentile is above the Arkansas state average of 56th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (64th percentile), along with earthquake and wildfire and hurricane risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.