Douglas County Disaster Risk

Douglas County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 75th 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.

Douglas County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (92th percentile), flooding (73th percentile), wildfire (56th percentile), earthquake (44th percentile), hurricane (0th 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.

Douglas County's composite risk percentile is 75th, compared to the Kansas state average of 30th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Douglas County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Kansas.

Yes, Douglas County's tornado risk is at the 92th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Douglas County is at the 73th 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.

Douglas County's composite risk score of 75th percentile is above the Kansas state average of 30th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (92th percentile), along with flooding and wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.