Freeborn County Disaster Risk

Freeborn County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 51th 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.

Freeborn County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (80th percentile), flooding (49th percentile), wildfire (24th percentile), earthquake (16th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 80th 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.

Freeborn County's composite risk percentile is 51th, compared to the Minnesota state average of 42th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Freeborn County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Minnesota.

Yes, Freeborn County's tornado risk is at the 80th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Freeborn County is at the 49th 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.

Freeborn County's composite risk score of 51th percentile is above the Minnesota state average of 42th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (80th percentile). Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.