Seminole County Disaster Risk

Seminole County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 91th 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.

Seminole County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (98th percentile), hurricane (95th percentile), flooding (93th percentile), wildfire (92th percentile), earthquake (66th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado 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.

Seminole County's composite risk percentile is 91th, compared to the Florida state average of 76th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Seminole County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Florida.

Yes, Seminole County's tornado risk is at the 98th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Seminole County is at the 93th 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.

Seminole County's composite risk score of 91th percentile is above the Florida state average of 76th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (98th percentile), along with hurricane and flooding and wildfire and earthquake risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.