Fauquier County Disaster Risk

Fauquier County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 48th 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.

Fauquier County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (72th percentile), flooding (66th percentile), earthquake (61th percentile), wildfire (35th percentile), tornado (16th 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.

Fauquier County's composite risk percentile is 48th, compared to the Virginia state average of 33th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Fauquier County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Virginia.

Yes, Fauquier County's hurricane risk is at the 72th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Fauquier County is at the 66th 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.

Fauquier County's composite risk score of 48th percentile is above the Virginia state average of 33th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (72th percentile), along with flooding and earthquake risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.