Stearns County Disaster Risk

Stearns County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 88th 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.

Stearns County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (93th percentile), flooding (91th percentile), wildfire (76th percentile), earthquake (25th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 93th 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.

Stearns County's composite risk percentile is 88th, compared to the Minnesota state average of 42th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Stearns County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Minnesota.

Yes, Stearns County's tornado risk is at the 93th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Stearns County is at the 91th 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.

Stearns County's composite risk score of 88th percentile is above the Minnesota state average of 42th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (93th percentile), along with flooding and wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.