Frederick County Disaster Risk

Frederick County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 45th 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.

Frederick County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (76th percentile), flooding (60th percentile), earthquake (60th percentile), wildfire (58th percentile), tornado (33th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 76th 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.

Frederick County's composite risk percentile is 45th, compared to the Virginia state average of 33th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Frederick County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Virginia.

Yes, Frederick County's hurricane risk is at the 76th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Frederick County is at the 60th 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.

Frederick County's composite risk score of 45th percentile is above the Virginia state average of 33th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (76th percentile), along with flooding and earthquake and wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.