Montgomery County Disaster Risk

Montgomery County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 92th 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.

Montgomery County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: flooding (94th percentile), hurricane (92th percentile), earthquake (92th percentile), tornado (79th percentile), wildfire (25th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is flooding at the 94th 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.

Montgomery County's composite risk percentile is 92th, compared to the Maryland state average of 60th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Montgomery County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Maryland.

Yes, Montgomery County's flooding risk is at the 94th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type.

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.

Montgomery County's composite risk score of 92th percentile is above the Maryland state average of 60th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by flooding exposure (94th percentile), along with hurricane and earthquake and tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.