Smith County Disaster Risk

Smith County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 21th 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.

Smith County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (41th percentile), tornado (39th percentile), earthquake (13th percentile), flooding (10th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 41th 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.

Smith County's composite risk percentile is 21th, compared to the Kansas state average of 30th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Smith County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Kansas.

Yes, Smith County's wildfire risk is at the 41th percentile nationally. This is below the national median, indicating relatively lower exposure. For flooding specifically, Smith County is at the 10th 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.

Smith County's composite risk score of 21th 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 41th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.