Wilkes County Disaster Risk

Wilkes County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 13th 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.

Wilkes County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (73th percentile), earthquake (60th percentile), wildfire (35th percentile), tornado (29th percentile), flooding (16th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane 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.

Wilkes County's composite risk percentile is 13th, compared to the Georgia state average of 40th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Wilkes County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Georgia.

Yes, Wilkes County's hurricane risk is at the 73th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Wilkes County is at the 16th 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.

Wilkes County's composite risk score of 13th percentile is below the Georgia state average of 40th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is hurricane at the 73th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.