Delaware County Disaster Risk

Delaware County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 76th 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.

Delaware County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (90th percentile), earthquake (83th percentile), flooding (82th percentile), hurricane (32th percentile), wildfire (22th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 90th 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.

Delaware County's composite risk percentile is 76th, compared to the Indiana state average of 46th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Delaware County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Indiana.

Yes, Delaware County's tornado risk is at the 90th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Delaware County is at the 82th 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.

Delaware County's composite risk score of 76th percentile is above the Indiana state average of 46th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (90th 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.