Riley County Disaster Risk

Riley County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 58th 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.

Riley County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (90th percentile), tornado (84th percentile), flooding (60th percentile), earthquake (33th percentile), hurricane (0th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 90th 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.

Riley County's composite risk percentile is 58th, compared to the Kansas state average of 30th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Riley County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Kansas.

Yes, Riley County's wildfire risk is at the 90th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Riley County is at the 60th 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.

Riley County's composite risk score of 58th percentile is above the Kansas state average of 30th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (90th percentile), along with tornado and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.