Geauga County Disaster Risk

Geauga County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 60th 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.

Geauga County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: flooding (73th percentile), tornado (60th percentile), earthquake (46th percentile), hurricane (44th percentile), wildfire (42th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is flooding at the 73th 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.

Geauga County's composite risk percentile is 60th, compared to the Ohio state average of 55th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Geauga County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Ohio.

Yes, Geauga County's flooding risk is at the 73th percentile nationally. This is above the national median.

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.

Geauga County's composite risk score of 60th percentile is above the Ohio state average of 55th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by flooding exposure (73th percentile), along with tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.