DeKalb County Disaster Risk

DeKalb County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 25th 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.

DeKalb County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (69th percentile), tornado (49th percentile), hurricane (48th percentile), flooding (35th percentile), wildfire (8th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 69th 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.

DeKalb County's composite risk percentile is 25th, compared to the Tennessee state average of 53th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means DeKalb County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Tennessee.

Yes, DeKalb County's earthquake risk is at the 69th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, DeKalb County is at the 35th 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.

DeKalb County's composite risk score of 25th percentile is below the Tennessee state average of 53th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is earthquake at the 69th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.