Darke County Disaster Risk

Darke County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 53th 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.

Darke County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (82th percentile), earthquake (80th percentile), flooding (60th percentile), hurricane (38th percentile), wildfire (12th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 82th 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.

Darke County's composite risk percentile is 53th, compared to the Ohio state average of 55th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Darke County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Ohio.

Yes, Darke County's tornado risk is at the 82th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Darke County is at the 60th 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.

Darke County's composite risk score of 53th percentile is below the Ohio state average of 55th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is tornado at the 82th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.