Ottawa County Disaster Risk

Ottawa County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 17th 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.

Ottawa County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (73th percentile), tornado (44th percentile), flooding (24th percentile), earthquake (11th percentile), hurricane (0th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 73th 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.

Ottawa County's composite risk percentile is 17th, compared to the Kansas state average of 30th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Ottawa County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Kansas.

Yes, Ottawa County's wildfire risk is at the 73th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Ottawa County is at the 24th 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.

Ottawa County's composite risk score of 17th percentile is below the Kansas state average of 30th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is wildfire at the 73th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.