Rock Island County Disaster Risk

Rock Island County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 84th 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.

Rock Island County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (91th percentile), flooding (79th percentile), earthquake (62th percentile), hurricane (14th percentile), wildfire (9th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 91th 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.

Rock Island County's composite risk percentile is 84th, compared to the Illinois state average of 55th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Rock Island County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Illinois.

Yes, Rock Island County's tornado risk is at the 91th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Rock Island County is at the 79th 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.

Rock Island County's composite risk score of 84th percentile is above the Illinois state average of 55th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (91th percentile), along with flooding and earthquake risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.