Ross County Disaster Risk

Ross County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 63th 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.

Ross County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: flooding (74th percentile), tornado (56th percentile), earthquake (54th percentile), wildfire (49th percentile), hurricane (36th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is flooding at the 74th 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.

Ross County's composite risk percentile is 63th, compared to the Ohio state average of 55th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Ross County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Ohio.

Yes, Ross County's flooding risk is at the 74th 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.

Ross County's composite risk score of 63th percentile is above the Ohio state average of 55th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by flooding exposure (74th percentile), along with tornado and earthquake risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.