Knox County Disaster Risk

Knox County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 57th 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.

Knox County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (68th percentile), earthquake (58th percentile), flooding (49th percentile), hurricane (22th percentile), wildfire (1th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 68th 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.

Knox County's composite risk percentile is 57th, compared to the Illinois state average of 55th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Knox County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Illinois.

Yes, Knox County's tornado risk is at the 68th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Knox County is at the 49th 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.

Knox County's composite risk score of 57th percentile is above the Illinois state average of 55th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (68th percentile), along with earthquake risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.