Wythe County Disaster Risk

Wythe County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 49th 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.

Wythe County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (61th percentile), hurricane (59th percentile), flooding (50th percentile), wildfire (21th percentile), tornado (15th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 61th 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.

Wythe County's composite risk percentile is 49th, compared to the Virginia state average of 33th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Wythe County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Virginia.

Yes, Wythe County's earthquake risk is at the 61th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Wythe County is at the 50th 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.

Wythe County's composite risk score of 49th percentile is above the Virginia state average of 33th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (61th percentile), along with hurricane and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.