Carroll County Disaster Risk

Carroll County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 58th 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.

Carroll County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (85th percentile), flooding (38th percentile), wildfire (29th percentile), earthquake (20th percentile), hurricane (19th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado 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.

Carroll County's composite risk percentile is 58th, compared to the Iowa state average of 40th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Carroll County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Iowa.

Yes, Carroll County's tornado risk is at the 85th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Carroll County is at the 38th 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.

Carroll County's composite risk score of 58th percentile is above the Iowa state average of 40th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (85th percentile). Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.