Jim Wells County Disaster Risk

Jim Wells County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 87th 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.

Jim Wells County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (94th percentile), wildfire (71th percentile), tornado (68th percentile), flooding (63th percentile), earthquake (24th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 94th 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.

Jim Wells County's composite risk percentile is 87th, compared to the Texas state average of 49th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Jim Wells County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Texas.

Yes, Jim Wells County's hurricane risk is at the 94th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Jim Wells County is at the 63th 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.

Jim Wells County's composite risk score of 87th percentile is above the Texas state average of 49th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (94th percentile), along with wildfire and tornado and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.