Duplin County Disaster Risk

Duplin County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 89th 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.

Duplin County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (98th percentile), tornado (83th percentile), earthquake (69th percentile), flooding (66th percentile), wildfire (66th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 98th 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.

Duplin County's composite risk percentile is 89th, compared to the North Carolina state average of 67th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Duplin County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in North Carolina.

Yes, Duplin County's hurricane risk is at the 98th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Duplin County is at the 66th 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.

Duplin County's composite risk score of 89th percentile is above the North Carolina state average of 67th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (98th percentile), along with tornado and earthquake and flooding and wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.