Defiance County Disaster Risk

Defiance County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 42th 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.

Defiance County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (64th percentile), flooding (59th percentile), earthquake (53th percentile), hurricane (27th percentile), wildfire (7th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado 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.

Defiance County's composite risk percentile is 42th, compared to the Ohio state average of 55th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Defiance County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Ohio.

Yes, Defiance County's tornado risk is at the 64th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Defiance County is at the 59th 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.

Defiance County's composite risk score of 42th 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 64th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.