Putnam County Disaster Risk

Putnam County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 53th 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.

Putnam County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (72th percentile), flooding (68th percentile), wildfire (63th percentile), earthquake (59th percentile), tornado (49th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 72th 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.

Putnam County's composite risk percentile is 53th, compared to the Georgia state average of 40th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Putnam County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Georgia.

Yes, Putnam County's hurricane risk is at the 72th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Putnam County is at the 68th 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.

Putnam County's composite risk score of 53th percentile is above the Georgia state average of 40th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (72th percentile), along with flooding and wildfire and earthquake risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.