Cherokee County Disaster Risk

Cherokee County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 54th 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.

Cherokee County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (74th percentile), wildfire (56th percentile), flooding (55th percentile), earthquake (52th percentile), hurricane (26th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 74th 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.

Cherokee County's composite risk percentile is 54th, compared to the Kansas state average of 30th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Cherokee County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Kansas.

Yes, Cherokee County's tornado risk is at the 74th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Cherokee County is at the 55th 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.

Cherokee County's composite risk score of 54th percentile is above the Kansas state average of 30th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (74th percentile), along with wildfire and flooding and earthquake risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.