Coles County Disaster Risk

Coles County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 70th 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.

Coles County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (87th percentile), flooding (74th percentile), tornado (72th percentile), hurricane (39th percentile), wildfire (10th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 87th 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.

Coles County's composite risk percentile is 70th, compared to the Illinois state average of 55th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Coles County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Illinois.

Yes, Coles County's earthquake risk is at the 87th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Coles County is at the 74th 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.

Coles County's composite risk score of 70th percentile is above the Illinois state average of 55th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (87th 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.