Austin County Disaster Risk

Austin County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 53th 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.

Austin County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (77th percentile), hurricane (76th percentile), flooding (58th percentile), wildfire (55th percentile), earthquake (22th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 77th 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.

Austin County's composite risk percentile is 53th, compared to the Texas state average of 49th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Austin County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Texas.

Yes, Austin County's tornado risk is at the 77th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Austin County is at the 58th 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.

Austin County's composite risk score of 53th percentile is above the Texas state average of 49th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (77th percentile), along with hurricane 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.