Pawnee County Disaster Risk

Pawnee County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 32th 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.

Pawnee County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (55th percentile), wildfire (55th percentile), flooding (21th percentile), earthquake (20th percentile), hurricane (0th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 55th 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.

Pawnee County's composite risk percentile is 32th, compared to the Kansas state average of 30th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Pawnee County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Kansas.

Yes, Pawnee County's tornado risk is at the 55th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Pawnee County is at the 21th 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.

Pawnee County's composite risk score of 32th percentile is above the Kansas state average of 30th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (55th percentile), along with wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.