Cherokee County Disaster Risk

Cherokee 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.

Cherokee County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (81th percentile), earthquake (74th percentile), tornado (68th percentile), flooding (68th percentile), hurricane (58th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 81th 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.

Cherokee County's composite risk percentile is 57th, compared to the North Carolina state average of 67th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Cherokee County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in North Carolina.

Yes, Cherokee County's wildfire risk is at the 81th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Cherokee County is at the 68th 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.

Cherokee County's composite risk score of 57th percentile is below the North Carolina state average of 67th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is wildfire at the 81th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.