Webster County Disaster Risk

Webster 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.

Webster County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (92th percentile), flooding (47th percentile), earthquake (21th percentile), wildfire (19th percentile), hurricane (13th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 92th 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.

Webster 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 Webster County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Iowa.

Yes, Webster County's tornado risk is at the 92th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Webster County is at the 47th 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.

Webster 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 (92th percentile). Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.