Kennebec County Disaster Risk

Kennebec County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 75th 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.

Kennebec County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (88th percentile), flooding (80th percentile), earthquake (76th percentile), wildfire (33th percentile), tornado (26th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 88th 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.

Kennebec County's composite risk percentile is 75th, compared to the Maine state average of 57th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Kennebec County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Maine.

Yes, Kennebec County's hurricane risk is at the 88th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Kennebec County is at the 80th 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.

Kennebec County's composite risk score of 75th percentile is above the Maine state average of 57th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (88th percentile), along with flooding and earthquake risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.