Newton County Disaster Risk

Newton County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 51th 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.

Newton County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (73th percentile), earthquake (62th percentile), flooding (62th percentile), hurricane (54th percentile), wildfire (40th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado 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.

Newton County's composite risk percentile is 51th, compared to the Georgia state average of 40th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Newton County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Georgia.

Yes, Newton County's tornado risk is at the 73th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Newton County is at the 62th 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.

Newton County's composite risk score of 51th percentile is above the Georgia state average of 40th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (73th percentile), along with earthquake and flooding and hurricane risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.