Catawba County Disaster Risk

Catawba 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.

Catawba County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (86th percentile), earthquake (86th percentile), flooding (85th percentile), hurricane (77th percentile), wildfire (37th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 86th 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.

Catawba County's composite risk percentile is 81th, compared to the North Carolina state average of 67th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Catawba County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in North Carolina.

Yes, Catawba County's tornado risk is at the 86th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Catawba County is at the 85th 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.

Catawba County's composite risk score of 81th percentile is above the North Carolina state average of 67th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (86th 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.