Valley County Disaster Risk

Valley County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 56th 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.

Valley County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (97th percentile), earthquake (66th percentile), flooding (56th percentile), tornado (4th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire 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.

Valley County's composite risk percentile is 56th, compared to the Idaho state average of 39th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Valley County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Idaho.

Yes, Valley County's wildfire risk is at the 97th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Valley County is at the 56th 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.

Valley County's composite risk score of 56th percentile is above the Idaho state average of 39th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (97th percentile), along with earthquake and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.