Effingham County Disaster Risk

Effingham County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 59th 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.

Effingham County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (91th percentile), earthquake (74th percentile), wildfire (72th percentile), flooding (52th percentile), tornado (47th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 91th 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.

Effingham County's composite risk percentile is 59th, compared to the Georgia state average of 40th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Effingham County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Georgia.

Yes, Effingham County's hurricane risk is at the 91th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Effingham County is at the 52th 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.

Effingham County's composite risk score of 59th percentile is above the Georgia state average of 40th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (91th percentile), along with earthquake and wildfire and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.