Knott County Disaster Risk

Knott County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 52th 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.

Knott County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (74th percentile), flooding (73th percentile), earthquake (35th percentile), hurricane (35th percentile), tornado (19th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 74th 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.

Knott County's composite risk percentile is 52th, compared to the Kentucky state average of 44th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Knott County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Kentucky.

Yes, Knott County's wildfire risk is at the 74th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Knott County is at the 73th 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.

Knott County's composite risk score of 52th percentile is above the Kentucky state average of 44th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (74th percentile), along with flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.