Buchanan County Disaster Risk

Buchanan County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 74th 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.

Buchanan County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (90th percentile), flooding (69th percentile), wildfire (58th percentile), earthquake (45th percentile), hurricane (0th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 90th 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.

Buchanan County's composite risk percentile is 74th, compared to the Missouri state average of 51th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Buchanan County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Missouri.

Yes, Buchanan County's tornado risk is at the 90th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Buchanan County is at the 69th 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.

Buchanan County's composite risk score of 74th percentile is above the Missouri state average of 51th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (90th 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.