Benton County Disaster Risk

Benton County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 15th 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.

Benton County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (78th percentile), tornado (55th percentile), wildfire (50th percentile), hurricane (37th percentile), flooding (14th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake 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.

Benton County's composite risk percentile is 15th, compared to the Mississippi state average of 51th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Benton County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Mississippi.

Yes, Benton County's earthquake risk is at the 78th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Benton County is at the 14th 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.

Benton County's composite risk score of 15th percentile is below the Mississippi state average of 51th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is earthquake at the 78th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.