Bennington County Disaster Risk

Bennington County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 52th 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.

Bennington County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (72th percentile), flooding (65th percentile), earthquake (45th percentile), tornado (21th percentile), wildfire (20th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 72th 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.

Bennington County's composite risk percentile is 52th, compared to the Vermont state average of 36th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Bennington County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Vermont.

Yes, Bennington County's hurricane risk is at the 72th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Bennington County is at the 65th 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.

Bennington County's composite risk score of 52th percentile is above the Vermont state average of 36th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (72th percentile), along with flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.