Cape Girardeau County Disaster Risk

Cape Girardeau County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 86th 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.

Cape Girardeau County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (97th percentile), flooding (78th percentile), tornado (78th percentile), hurricane (38th percentile), wildfire (33th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 97th 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.

Cape Girardeau County's composite risk percentile is 86th, compared to the Missouri state average of 51th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Cape Girardeau County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Missouri.

Yes, Cape Girardeau County's earthquake risk is at the 97th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Cape Girardeau County is at the 78th 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.

Cape Girardeau County's composite risk score of 86th percentile is above the Missouri state average of 51th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (97th percentile), along with flooding and tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.