Calhoun County Disaster Risk

Calhoun County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 75th 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.

Calhoun County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (88th percentile), flooding (76th percentile), earthquake (67th percentile), hurricane (38th percentile), wildfire (28th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 88th 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.

Calhoun County's composite risk percentile is 75th, compared to the Michigan state average of 50th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Calhoun County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Michigan.

Yes, Calhoun County's tornado risk is at the 88th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Calhoun County is at the 76th 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.

Calhoun County's composite risk score of 75th percentile is above the Michigan state average of 50th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (88th percentile), along with flooding and earthquake risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.