Ouray County Disaster Risk

Ouray County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 18th 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.

Ouray County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (72th percentile), earthquake (28th percentile), flooding (25th percentile), tornado (3th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 72th 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.

Ouray County's composite risk percentile is 18th, compared to the Colorado state average of 41th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Ouray County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Colorado.

Yes, Ouray County's wildfire risk is at the 72th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Ouray County is at the 25th 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.

Ouray County's composite risk score of 18th percentile is below the Colorado state average of 41th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is wildfire at the 72th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.