Black Hawk County Disaster Risk

Black Hawk County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 77th 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.

Black Hawk County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (91th percentile), flooding (77th percentile), earthquake (39th percentile), wildfire (37th percentile), hurricane (17th 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.

Black Hawk County's composite risk percentile is 77th, compared to the Iowa state average of 40th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Black Hawk County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Iowa.

Yes, Black Hawk County's tornado risk is at the 91th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Black Hawk County is at the 77th 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.

Black Hawk County's composite risk score of 77th percentile is above the Iowa state average of 40th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (91th percentile), along with flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.