Preston County Disaster Risk

Preston County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 34th 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.

Preston County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: flooding (60th percentile), hurricane (55th percentile), earthquake (28th percentile), wildfire (27th percentile), tornado (27th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is flooding at the 60th 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.

Preston County's composite risk percentile is 34th, compared to the West Virginia state average of 49th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Preston County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in West Virginia.

Yes, Preston County's flooding risk is at the 60th percentile nationally. This is above the national median.

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.

Preston County's composite risk score of 34th percentile is below the West Virginia state average of 49th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is flooding at the 60th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.