Rio Grande County Disaster Risk

Rio Grande County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 46th 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 Grande County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (69th percentile), wildfire (64th percentile), flooding (55th percentile), tornado (14th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 69th 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 Grande County's composite risk percentile is 46th, compared to the Colorado state average of 41th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Rio Grande County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Colorado.

Yes, Rio Grande County's earthquake risk is at the 69th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Rio Grande County is at the 55th 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 Grande County's composite risk score of 46th percentile is above the Colorado state average of 41th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (69th percentile), along with wildfire and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.