Lowndes County Disaster Risk

Lowndes County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 81th 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.

Lowndes County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (91th percentile), earthquake (89th percentile), flooding (78th percentile), hurricane (73th percentile), wildfire (37th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 91th 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.

Lowndes County's composite risk percentile is 81th, compared to the Mississippi state average of 51th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Lowndes County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Mississippi.

Yes, Lowndes County's tornado risk is at the 91th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Lowndes 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.

Lowndes County's composite risk score of 81th percentile is above the Mississippi state average of 51th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (91th percentile), along with earthquake and flooding and hurricane risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.