Henrico County Disaster Risk

Henrico County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 83th 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.

Henrico County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (93th percentile), flooding (85th percentile), hurricane (82th percentile), tornado (81th percentile), wildfire (35th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 93th 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.

Henrico County's composite risk percentile is 83th, compared to the Virginia state average of 33th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Henrico County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Virginia.

Yes, Henrico County's earthquake risk is at the 93th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Henrico County is at the 85th 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.

Henrico County's composite risk score of 83th percentile is above the Virginia state average of 33th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (93th percentile), along with flooding and hurricane and tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.