Genesee County Disaster Risk

Genesee 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.

Genesee County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (99th percentile), flooding (93th percentile), earthquake (71th percentile), hurricane (45th percentile), wildfire (26th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 99th 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.

Genesee County's composite risk percentile is 92th, compared to the Michigan state average of 50th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Genesee County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Michigan.

Yes, Genesee County's tornado risk is at the 99th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Genesee County is at the 93th 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.

Genesee County's composite risk score of 92th percentile is above the Michigan state average of 50th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (99th 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.