How much flood risk does Pickett County actually carry?
Pickett County lands at the 9.2th percentile of FEMA's National Risk Index for flooding, "Very Low" territory — among the lowest flood hazard in the country — with the hazard driven by inland rivers and flash flooding rather than the coast — FEMA's model puts a flood event here at about once every 4 years. That's a county-wide figure, not a per-address one — FEMA's parcel maps are a live lookup, not a bulk file.
Mandatory flood insurance compliance in Pickett County
13.6% of the homes FEMA requires to carry flood insurance in Pickett County — those inside the mapped Special Flood Hazard Area — actually have a policy in force: 3 policies against 22 mandated structures, which means a meaningful share of legally-required coverage simply isn't there. Across all residential structures in Pickett County, not just the ones FEMA mandates, 0.1% carry an NFIP policy — most flood damage nationally happens outside the mapped high-risk zone, so that broader number matters too.
How Pickett County compares nationally
Pickett County sits at rank 2872 of 3144 counties on FEMA's flood hazard scale (1 is worst) and rank 2811 of 3144 by population (1 is biggest). Pickett County, Tennessee is home to about 5,108 people across 162.97 square miles of land.
What to do next if you own or are buying in Pickett County
FEMA counts 3,506 residential structures in Pickett County overall, 4 of them carrying some form of NFIP coverage — but a lender or insurer cares about one parcel, not that county total.
More on how this number was built
The methodology guide shows exactly which FEMA and Census tables feed Pickett County's numbers. The guide to what the Special Flood Hazard Area actually means explains why the mandatory-insurance rule exists and who it applies to.