Lyon County Disaster Risk

Lyon County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 48th 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.

Lyon County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (88th percentile), tornado (70th percentile), flooding (49th percentile), earthquake (37th percentile), hurricane (0th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 88th 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.

Lyon County's composite risk percentile is 48th, compared to the Kansas state average of 30th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Lyon County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Kansas.

Yes, Lyon County's wildfire risk is at the 88th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Lyon County is at the 49th 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.

Lyon County's composite risk score of 48th percentile is above the Kansas state average of 30th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (88th percentile), along with tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.