Shelby County Disaster Risk

Shelby County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 56th 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.

Shelby County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (83th percentile), tornado (75th percentile), wildfire (71th percentile), earthquake (48th percentile), flooding (45th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 83th 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.

Shelby County's composite risk percentile is 56th, compared to the Texas state average of 49th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Shelby County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Texas.

Yes, Shelby County's hurricane risk is at the 83th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Shelby County is at the 45th 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.

Shelby County's composite risk score of 56th percentile is above the Texas state average of 49th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (83th percentile), along with tornado and wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.