Chisago County Disaster Risk

Chisago County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 45th 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.

Chisago County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (65th percentile), tornado (64th percentile), flooding (56th percentile), earthquake (4th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 65th 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.

Chisago County's composite risk percentile is 45th, compared to the Minnesota state average of 42th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Chisago County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Minnesota.

Yes, Chisago County's wildfire risk is at the 65th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Chisago 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.

Chisago County's composite risk score of 45th percentile is above the Minnesota state average of 42th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (65th percentile), along with tornado and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.