Osage County Disaster Risk

Osage County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 35th 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.

Osage County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (75th percentile), tornado (57th percentile), flooding (30th percentile), earthquake (27th percentile), hurricane (0th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 75th 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.

Osage County's composite risk percentile is 35th, compared to the Kansas state average of 30th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Osage County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Kansas.

Yes, Osage County's wildfire risk is at the 75th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Osage County is at the 30th 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.

Osage County's composite risk score of 35th percentile is above the Kansas state average of 30th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (75th 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.