Houghton County Disaster Risk

Houghton County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 24th 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.

Houghton County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: flooding (43th percentile), wildfire (23th percentile), tornado (6th percentile), earthquake (0th percentile), hurricane (0th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is flooding at the 43th 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.

Houghton County's composite risk percentile is 24th, compared to the Michigan state average of 50th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Houghton County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Michigan.

Yes, Houghton County's flooding risk is at the 43th percentile nationally. This is below the national median, indicating relatively lower exposure.

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.

Houghton County's composite risk score of 24th 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 flooding at the 43th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.