Vermilion County Disaster Risk

Vermilion County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 79th 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.

Vermilion County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (85th percentile), tornado (80th percentile), flooding (76th percentile), hurricane (46th percentile), wildfire (23th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 85th 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.

Vermilion County's composite risk percentile is 79th, compared to the Illinois state average of 55th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Vermilion County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Illinois.

Yes, Vermilion County's earthquake risk is at the 85th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Vermilion County is at the 76th 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.

Vermilion County's composite risk score of 79th percentile is above the Illinois state average of 55th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (85th percentile), along with tornado and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.