Wharton County Disaster Risk

Wharton County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 83th 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.

Wharton County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (95th percentile), tornado (72th percentile), flooding (70th percentile), wildfire (53th percentile), earthquake (26th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 95th 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.

Wharton County's composite risk percentile is 83th, compared to the Texas state average of 49th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Wharton County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Texas.

Yes, Wharton County's hurricane risk is at the 95th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Wharton County is at the 70th 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.

Wharton County's composite risk score of 83th percentile is above the Texas state average of 49th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (95th percentile), along with tornado and flooding and wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.