Potter County Disaster Risk

Potter County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 28th 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.

Potter County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (58th percentile), flooding (55th percentile), earthquake (21th percentile), tornado (15th percentile), wildfire (3th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 58th 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.

Potter County's composite risk percentile is 28th, compared to the Pennsylvania state average of 67th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Potter County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Pennsylvania.

Yes, Potter County's hurricane risk is at the 58th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Potter County is at the 55th 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.

Potter County's composite risk score of 28th percentile is below the Pennsylvania state average of 67th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is hurricane at the 58th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.