Adams County Disaster Risk

Adams County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 64th 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.

Adams County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (65th percentile), flooding (61th percentile), tornado (59th percentile), hurricane (24th percentile), wildfire (5th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 65th 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.

Adams County's composite risk percentile is 64th, compared to the Illinois state average of 55th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Adams County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Illinois.

Yes, Adams County's earthquake risk is at the 65th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Adams County is at the 61th 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.

Adams County's composite risk score of 64th percentile is above the Illinois state average of 55th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (65th percentile), along with flooding and tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.