Cowley County Disaster Risk

Cowley County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 69th 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.

Cowley County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (92th percentile), tornado (91th percentile), flooding (56th percentile), earthquake (40th percentile), hurricane (21th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire 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.

Cowley County's composite risk percentile is 69th, compared to the Kansas state average of 30th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Cowley County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Kansas.

Yes, Cowley County's wildfire risk is at the 92th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Cowley County is at the 56th 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.

Cowley County's composite risk score of 69th percentile is above the Kansas state average of 30th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (92th percentile), along with tornado and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.