Powell County Disaster Risk

Powell County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 31th 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.

Powell County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: flooding (51th percentile), wildfire (43th percentile), earthquake (38th percentile), tornado (37th percentile), hurricane (35th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is flooding at the 51th 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.

Powell County's composite risk percentile is 31th, compared to the Kentucky state average of 44th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Powell County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Kentucky.

Yes, Powell County's flooding risk is at the 51th percentile nationally. This is above the national median.

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.

Powell County's composite risk score of 31th 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 flooding at the 51th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.