Botetourt County Disaster Risk

Botetourt County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 18th 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.

Botetourt County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (56th percentile), flooding (42th percentile), earthquake (36th percentile), wildfire (25th percentile), tornado (12th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 56th 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.

Botetourt County's composite risk percentile is 18th, compared to the Virginia state average of 33th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Botetourt County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Virginia.

Yes, Botetourt County's hurricane risk is at the 56th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Botetourt County is at the 42th 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.

Botetourt County's composite risk score of 18th percentile is below the Virginia state average of 33th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is hurricane at the 56th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.