Knox County Disaster Risk

Knox County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 18th 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.

Knox County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (44th percentile), hurricane (29th percentile), tornado (28th percentile), earthquake (16th percentile), flooding (5th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 44th 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.

Knox County's composite risk percentile is 18th, compared to the Texas state average of 49th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Knox County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Texas.

Yes, Knox County's wildfire risk is at the 44th percentile nationally. This is below the national median, indicating relatively lower exposure. For flooding specifically, Knox County is at the 5th 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.

Knox County's composite risk score of 18th percentile is below the Texas state average of 49th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is wildfire at the 44th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.