Jackson County Disaster Risk

Jackson County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 24th 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.

Jackson County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (80th percentile), flooding (42th percentile), hurricane (39th percentile), earthquake (36th percentile), tornado (32th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 80th 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.

Jackson County's composite risk percentile is 24th, compared to the Kentucky state average of 44th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Jackson County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Kentucky.

Yes, Jackson County's wildfire risk is at the 80th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Jackson County is at the 42th 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.

Jackson County's composite risk score of 24th percentile is below the Kentucky state average of 44th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is wildfire at the 80th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.