Smith County Disaster Risk

Smith County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 84th 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.

Smith County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: flooding (85th percentile), wildfire (80th percentile), hurricane (75th percentile), earthquake (70th percentile), tornado (47th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is flooding at the 85th 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.

Smith County's composite risk percentile is 84th, compared to the Texas state average of 49th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Smith County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Texas.

Yes, Smith County's flooding risk is at the 85th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type.

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.

Smith County's composite risk score of 84th percentile is above the Texas state average of 49th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by flooding exposure (85th percentile), along with wildfire and hurricane and earthquake risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.