Callaway County Disaster Risk

Callaway County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 64th 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.

Callaway County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (76th percentile), flooding (68th percentile), wildfire (66th percentile), tornado (62th percentile), hurricane (19th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake 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.

Callaway County's composite risk percentile is 64th, compared to the Missouri state average of 51th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Callaway County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Missouri.

Yes, Callaway County's earthquake risk is at the 76th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Callaway County is at the 68th 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.

Callaway County's composite risk score of 64th percentile is above the Missouri state average of 51th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (76th percentile), along with flooding and wildfire and tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.