Buchanan County Disaster Risk

Buchanan County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 24th 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.

Buchanan County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: flooding (39th percentile), tornado (37th percentile), earthquake (17th percentile), hurricane (12th percentile), wildfire (7th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is flooding at the 39th 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.

Buchanan County's composite risk percentile is 24th, compared to the Iowa state average of 40th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Buchanan County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Iowa.

Yes, Buchanan County's flooding risk is at the 39th percentile nationally. This is below the national median, indicating relatively lower exposure.

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.

Buchanan County's composite risk score of 24th percentile is below the Iowa state average of 40th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is flooding at the 39th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.