Bates County Disaster Risk

Bates County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 30th 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.

Bates County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (53th percentile), earthquake (45th percentile), flooding (40th percentile), hurricane (22th percentile), wildfire (15th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 53th 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.

Bates County's composite risk percentile is 30th, compared to the Missouri state average of 51th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Bates County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Missouri.

Yes, Bates County's tornado risk is at the 53th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Bates County is at the 40th 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.

Bates County's composite risk score of 30th percentile is below the Missouri state average of 51th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is tornado at the 53th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.