Harford County Disaster Risk

Harford County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 72th 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.

Harford County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (82th percentile), flooding (78th percentile), earthquake (76th percentile), tornado (36th percentile), wildfire (19th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 82th 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.

Harford County's composite risk percentile is 72th, compared to the Maryland state average of 60th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Harford County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Maryland.

Yes, Harford County's hurricane risk is at the 82th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Harford County is at the 78th 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.

Harford County's composite risk score of 72th percentile is above the Maryland state average of 60th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (82th 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.