Western Connecticut Planning Region Disaster Risk

Western Connecticut Planning Region has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively High, placing it in the 96th 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.

Western Connecticut Planning Region is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: flooding (98th percentile), hurricane (97th percentile), earthquake (92th percentile), tornado (69th percentile), wildfire (46th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is flooding at the 98th 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.

Western Connecticut Planning Region's composite risk percentile is 96th, compared to the Connecticut state average of 88th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Moderate. This means Western Connecticut Planning Region faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Connecticut.

Yes, Western Connecticut Planning Region's flooding risk is at the 98th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type.

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.

Western Connecticut Planning Region's composite risk score of 96th percentile is above the Connecticut state average of 88th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by flooding exposure (98th percentile), along with hurricane 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.