Clay County Disaster Risk

Clay County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 27th 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.

Clay County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (64th percentile), earthquake (48th percentile), hurricane (48th percentile), tornado (45th percentile), flooding (44th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 64th 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.

Clay County's composite risk percentile is 27th, compared to the North Carolina state average of 67th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Clay County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in North Carolina.

Yes, Clay County's wildfire risk is at the 64th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Clay County is at the 44th 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.

Clay County's composite risk score of 27th 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 64th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.