Clearwater County Disaster Risk

Clearwater County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 4th 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.

Clearwater County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (66th percentile), tornado (17th percentile), flooding (11th percentile), earthquake (1th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 66th 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.

Clearwater County's composite risk percentile is 4th, compared to the Minnesota state average of 42th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Clearwater County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Minnesota.

Yes, Clearwater County's wildfire risk is at the 66th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Clearwater County is at the 11th 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.

Clearwater County's composite risk score of 4th percentile is below the Minnesota state average of 42th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is wildfire at the 66th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.