Fairfield County Disaster Risk

Fairfield County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 41th 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.

Fairfield County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (75th percentile), tornado (71th percentile), earthquake (70th percentile), wildfire (46th percentile), flooding (43th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 75th 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.

Fairfield County's composite risk percentile is 41th, compared to the South Carolina state average of 71th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Fairfield County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in South Carolina.

Yes, Fairfield County's hurricane risk is at the 75th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Fairfield County is at the 43th 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.

Fairfield County's composite risk score of 41th percentile is below the South Carolina state average of 71th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is hurricane at the 75th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.