Cass County Disaster Risk

Cass County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 48th 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.

Cass County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (64th percentile), flooding (56th percentile), earthquake (51th percentile), hurricane (32th percentile), wildfire (19th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 64th 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.

Cass County's composite risk percentile is 48th, compared to the Michigan state average of 50th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Cass County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Michigan.

Yes, Cass County's tornado risk is at the 64th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Cass County is at the 56th 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.

Cass County's composite risk score of 48th percentile is below the Michigan state average of 50th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is tornado at the 64th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.