Blue Earth County Disaster Risk

Blue Earth County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 72th 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.

Blue Earth County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (77th percentile), flooding (66th percentile), wildfire (32th percentile), earthquake (16th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 77th 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.

Blue Earth County's composite risk percentile is 72th, compared to the Minnesota state average of 42th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Blue Earth County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Minnesota.

Yes, Blue Earth County's tornado risk is at the 77th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Blue Earth County is at the 66th 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.

Blue Earth County's composite risk score of 72th percentile is above the Minnesota state average of 42th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (77th percentile), along with flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.