Rio Blanco County Disaster Risk

Rio Blanco County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 38th 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.

Rio Blanco County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (92th percentile), flooding (51th percentile), earthquake (41th percentile), tornado (4th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 92th 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.

Rio Blanco County's composite risk percentile is 38th, compared to the Colorado state average of 41th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Rio Blanco County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Colorado.

Yes, Rio Blanco County's wildfire risk is at the 92th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Rio Blanco County is at the 51th 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.

Rio Blanco County's composite risk score of 38th 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 92th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.