Anne Arundel County Disaster Risk

Anne Arundel County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 82th 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.

Anne Arundel County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (87th percentile), earthquake (83th percentile), tornado (82th percentile), flooding (81th percentile), wildfire (36th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 87th 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.

Anne Arundel County's composite risk percentile is 82th, compared to the Maryland state average of 60th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Anne Arundel County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Maryland.

Yes, Anne Arundel County's hurricane risk is at the 87th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Anne Arundel County is at the 81th 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.

Anne Arundel County's composite risk score of 82th percentile is above the Maryland state average of 60th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (87th percentile), along with earthquake and tornado and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.