Scott County Disaster Risk

Scott County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 56th 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.

Scott County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (81th percentile), earthquake (75th percentile), flooding (58th percentile), hurricane (37th percentile), wildfire (15th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 81th 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.

Scott County's composite risk percentile is 56th, compared to the Kentucky state average of 44th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Scott County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Kentucky.

Yes, Scott County's tornado risk is at the 81th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Scott County is at the 58th 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.

Scott County's composite risk score of 56th percentile is above the Kentucky state average of 44th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (81th 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.