Belknap County Disaster Risk

Belknap County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 57th 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.

Belknap County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (78th percentile), flooding (70th percentile), earthquake (60th percentile), tornado (31th percentile), wildfire (25th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane 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.

Belknap County's composite risk percentile is 57th, compared to the New Hampshire state average of 70th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Belknap County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in New Hampshire.

Yes, Belknap County's hurricane risk is at the 78th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Belknap County is at the 70th 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.

Belknap County's composite risk score of 57th percentile is below the New Hampshire state average of 70th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is hurricane at the 78th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.