DeKalb County Disaster Risk

DeKalb County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 94th 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.

DeKalb County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: flooding (96th percentile), tornado (96th percentile), earthquake (95th percentile), hurricane (73th percentile), wildfire (44th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is flooding 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.

DeKalb County's composite risk percentile is 94th, compared to the Georgia state average of 40th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means DeKalb County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Georgia.

Yes, DeKalb County's flooding risk is at the 96th 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.

DeKalb County's composite risk score of 94th percentile is above the Georgia state average of 40th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by flooding exposure (96th percentile), along with tornado and earthquake and hurricane risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.