Anderson County Disaster Risk

Anderson County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 73th 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.

Anderson County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (88th percentile), tornado (80th percentile), flooding (78th percentile), wildfire (54th percentile), hurricane (49th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 88th 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.

Anderson County's composite risk percentile is 73th, compared to the Tennessee state average of 53th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Anderson County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Tennessee.

Yes, Anderson County's earthquake risk is at the 88th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Anderson County is at the 78th 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.

Anderson County's composite risk score of 73th percentile is above the Tennessee state average of 53th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (88th percentile), along with tornado and flooding and wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.