Panola County Disaster Risk

Panola County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 55th 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.

Panola County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (82th percentile), hurricane (78th percentile), wildfire (72th percentile), earthquake (51th percentile), flooding (44th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 82th 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.

Panola County's composite risk percentile is 55th, compared to the Texas state average of 49th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Panola County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Texas.

Yes, Panola County's tornado risk is at the 82th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Panola County is at the 44th 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.

Panola County's composite risk score of 55th percentile is above the Texas state average of 49th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (82th percentile), along with hurricane and wildfire and earthquake risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.