Sherburne County Disaster Risk

Sherburne County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 54th 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.

Sherburne County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (76th percentile), tornado (70th percentile), flooding (62th percentile), earthquake (7th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 76th 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.

Sherburne County's composite risk percentile is 54th, compared to the Minnesota state average of 42th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Sherburne County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Minnesota.

Yes, Sherburne County's wildfire risk is at the 76th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Sherburne County is at the 62th 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.

Sherburne County's composite risk score of 54th percentile is above the Minnesota state average of 42th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (76th 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.