Highlands County Disaster Risk

Highlands County 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.

Highlands County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (96th percentile), wildfire (93th percentile), tornado (83th percentile), flooding (78th percentile), earthquake (28th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 96th 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.

Highlands County's composite risk percentile is 89th, compared to the Florida state average of 76th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Highlands County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Florida.

Yes, Highlands County's hurricane risk is at the 96th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Highlands County is at the 78th 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.

Highlands County's composite risk score of 89th percentile is above the Florida state average of 76th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (96th percentile), along with wildfire and tornado and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.