San Benito County Disaster Risk

San Benito County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 85th 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.

San Benito County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (97th percentile), wildfire (95th percentile), flooding (69th percentile), tornado (10th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 97th 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.

San Benito County's composite risk percentile is 85th, compared to the California state average of 89th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Moderate. This means San Benito County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in California.

Yes, San Benito County's earthquake risk is at the 97th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, San Benito County is at the 69th 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.

San Benito County's composite risk score of 85th percentile is below the California state average of 89th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is earthquake at the 97th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.