Baldwin County Disaster Risk

Baldwin County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 50th 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.

Baldwin County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (73th percentile), hurricane (68th percentile), wildfire (67th percentile), flooding (63th percentile), tornado (52th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 73th 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.

Baldwin County's composite risk percentile is 50th, compared to the Georgia state average of 40th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Baldwin County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Georgia.

Yes, Baldwin County's earthquake risk is at the 73th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Baldwin County is at the 63th 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.

Baldwin County's composite risk score of 50th percentile is above the Georgia state average of 40th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (73th percentile), along with hurricane and wildfire and flooding and tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.