Watonwan County Disaster Risk

Watonwan County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 24th 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.

Watonwan County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (44th percentile), flooding (25th percentile), earthquake (11th percentile), wildfire (9th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 44th 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.

Watonwan County's composite risk percentile is 24th, compared to the Minnesota state average of 42th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Watonwan County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Minnesota.

Yes, Watonwan County's tornado risk is at the 44th percentile nationally. This is below the national median, indicating relatively lower exposure. For flooding specifically, Watonwan County is at the 25th 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.

Watonwan County's composite risk score of 24th 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 tornado at the 44th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.