Whitfield County Disaster Risk

Whitfield County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 81th 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.

Whitfield County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (94th percentile), earthquake (91th percentile), flooding (76th percentile), hurricane (61th percentile), wildfire (58th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 94th 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.

Whitfield County's composite risk percentile is 81th, compared to the Georgia state average of 40th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Whitfield County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Georgia.

Yes, Whitfield County's tornado risk is at the 94th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Whitfield County is at the 76th 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.

Whitfield County's composite risk score of 81th percentile is above the Georgia state average of 40th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (94th percentile), along with earthquake and flooding and hurricane and wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.