Norfolk city Disaster Risk

Norfolk city has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 81th 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.

Norfolk city is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: hurricane (93th percentile), flooding (82th percentile), earthquake (78th percentile), tornado (74th percentile), wildfire (33th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is hurricane 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.

Norfolk city's composite risk percentile is 81th, compared to the Virginia state average of 33th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Norfolk city faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Virginia.

Yes, Norfolk city's hurricane risk is at the 93th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Norfolk city is at the 82th 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.

Norfolk city's composite risk score of 81th percentile is above the Virginia state average of 33th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by hurricane exposure (93th percentile), along with flooding and earthquake and tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.