Waldo County Disaster Risk

Waldo County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 41th 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.

Waldo County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (83th percentile), flooding (59th percentile), earthquake (43th percentile), wildfire (18th percentile), tornado (15th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 83th 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.

Waldo County's composite risk percentile is 41th, compared to the Maine state average of 57th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Waldo County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Maine.

Yes, Waldo County's hurricane risk is at the 83th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Waldo County is at the 59th 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.

Waldo County's composite risk score of 41th percentile is below the Maine state average of 57th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is hurricane at the 83th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.