Iron County Disaster Risk

Iron County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 55th 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.

Iron County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (43th percentile), flooding (26th percentile), tornado (18th percentile), earthquake (1th percentile), hurricane (0th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire 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.

Iron County's composite risk percentile is 55th, compared to the Michigan state average of 50th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Iron County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Michigan.

Yes, Iron County's wildfire risk is at the 43th percentile nationally. This is below the national median, indicating relatively lower exposure. For flooding specifically, Iron County is at the 26th 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.

Iron County's composite risk score of 55th percentile is above the Michigan state average of 50th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (43th percentile). Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.