Dougherty County Disaster Risk

Dougherty County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 83th 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.

Dougherty County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (89th percentile), flooding (88th percentile), tornado (79th percentile), earthquake (77th percentile), wildfire (70th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 89th 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.

Dougherty County's composite risk percentile is 83th, compared to the Georgia state average of 40th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Dougherty County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Georgia.

Yes, Dougherty County's hurricane risk is at the 89th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Dougherty County is at the 88th 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.

Dougherty County's composite risk score of 83th percentile is above the Georgia state average of 40th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (89th percentile), along with flooding and tornado and earthquake and wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.