James City County Disaster Risk

James City County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 53th 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.

James City County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (82th percentile), earthquake (61th percentile), flooding (61th percentile), tornado (51th percentile), wildfire (46th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane at the 82th 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.

James City County's composite risk percentile is 53th, compared to the Virginia state average of 33th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means James City County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Virginia.

Yes, James City County's hurricane risk is at the 82th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, James City County is at the 61th 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.

James City County's composite risk score of 53th percentile is above the Virginia state average of 33th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (82th percentile), along with earthquake and flooding and tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.