Cass County Disaster Risk

Cass County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 60th 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.

Cass County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (76th percentile), flooding (43th percentile), wildfire (41th percentile), hurricane (18th percentile), earthquake (16th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 76th 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.

Cass County's composite risk percentile is 60th, compared to the Iowa state average of 40th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Cass County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Iowa.

Yes, Cass County's tornado risk is at the 76th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Cass County is at the 43th 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.

Cass County's composite risk score of 60th percentile is above the Iowa state average of 40th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (76th percentile). Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.