Charles County Disaster Risk

Charles County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 44th 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.

Charles County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (78th percentile), earthquake (68th percentile), flooding (52th percentile), tornado (29th percentile), wildfire (19th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 78th 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.

Charles County's composite risk percentile is 44th, compared to the Maryland state average of 60th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Charles County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Maryland.

Yes, Charles County's hurricane risk is at the 78th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Charles County is at the 52th 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.

Charles County's composite risk score of 44th percentile is below the Maryland state average of 60th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is hurricane at the 78th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.