Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region Disaster Risk

Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 89th 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.

Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (95th percentile), flooding (92th percentile), earthquake (81th percentile), tornado (53th percentile), wildfire (39th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 95th 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.

Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region's composite risk percentile is 89th, compared to the Connecticut state average of 88th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Moderate. This means Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Connecticut.

Yes, Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region's hurricane risk is at the 95th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region is at the 92th 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.

Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region's composite risk score of 89th percentile is above the Connecticut state average of 88th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (95th percentile), along with flooding and earthquake and tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.