Dickenson County Disaster Risk

Dickenson 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.

Dickenson County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (83th percentile), hurricane (42th percentile), flooding (38th percentile), earthquake (36th percentile), tornado (8th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire 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.

Dickenson 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 Dickenson County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Virginia.

Yes, Dickenson County's wildfire risk is at the 83th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Dickenson County is at the 38th 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.

Dickenson 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 wildfire at the 83th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.