
Author
Evan Brooks
Data Editor
Data editor for the ByCounty Network, responsible for methodology documentation, source review, and editorial QA on county-level reports built from public datasets.
Evan Brooks is the editorial byline for ByCounty Network data review, methodology maintenance, and source attribution across the network.
The role is the data-editor role, not the subject-matter-expert role. ByCounty designs data pipelines that pull each dataset, documents the methodology behind every composite score and ranking, spot-checks generated narratives against the underlying statistics before publication, and records methodology changes. The sites are transparent data utilities, not professional advisory services.
When a feature genuinely requires domain expertise — a public-health analyst weighing in on CDC measure choice, a CPA reviewing a property-tax explainer — ByCounty uses a named co-byline reviewer rather than presenting the data editor as a domain-credentialed professional. The reviewer commitment for each site is documented on that site's editorial-standards page, including the recruit status when no domain reviewer is currently in place.
Every statistic on the site is traceable to a primary source, every methodology decision is documented, and every page lists a "Last reviewed" date where editorial review applies.
Coverage areas
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI v1.19.0)
- natural-hazard composite risk scoring
- expected-annual-loss methodology
- per-hazard county risk data attribution
Articles by Evan on Risk By County
Understanding Natural Disaster Risk by County
A data-driven analysis of natural disaster risk across all 3,100+ US counties using FEMA National Risk Index data. See which counties face the highest and lowest risk from floods, wildfires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes.
FEMA's National Risk Index: What It Means for Your County
A complete guide to understanding FEMA's National Risk Index — how risk scores are calculated, what the 18 hazard types mean, and how to use NRI data for insurance, home buying, and emergency preparedness.
How to Prepare for Natural Disasters Based on Your County's Risk Profile
Practical preparedness guide for flood, wildfire, tornado, earthquake, and hurricane risk — customized to your county's FEMA risk scores. Insurance tips, evacuation planning, and emergency kit essentials.