Bartholomew County Disaster Risk

Bartholomew County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 71th 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.

Bartholomew County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (87th percentile), earthquake (83th percentile), flooding (78th percentile), wildfire (26th percentile), hurricane (21th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 87th 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.

Bartholomew County's composite risk percentile is 71th, compared to the Indiana state average of 46th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Bartholomew County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Indiana.

Yes, Bartholomew County's tornado risk is at the 87th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Bartholomew County is at the 78th 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.

Bartholomew County's composite risk score of 71th percentile is above the Indiana state average of 46th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (87th percentile), along with earthquake and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.