Clay County Disaster Risk

Clay County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 74th 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.

Clay County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: flooding (82th percentile), wildfire (66th percentile), tornado (62th percentile), earthquake (15th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is flooding at the 82th 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.

Clay County's composite risk percentile is 74th, compared to the Minnesota state average of 42th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Clay County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Minnesota.

Yes, Clay County's flooding risk is at the 82th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type.

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.

Clay County's composite risk score of 74th percentile is above the Minnesota state average of 42th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by flooding exposure (82th percentile), along with wildfire and tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.