Leake County Disaster Risk

Leake County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 56th 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.

Leake County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (82th percentile), tornado (78th percentile), earthquake (63th percentile), wildfire (52th percentile), flooding (45th 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.

Leake County's composite risk percentile is 56th, compared to the Mississippi state average of 51th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Leake County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Mississippi.

Yes, Leake County's hurricane risk is at the 82th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Leake County is at the 45th 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.

Leake County's composite risk score of 56th percentile is above the Mississippi state average of 51th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (82th percentile), along with tornado and earthquake and wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.