Clay County Disaster Risk

Clay County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 90th 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.

Clay County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (96th percentile), flooding (88th percentile), wildfire (69th percentile), earthquake (64th percentile), hurricane (0th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 96th 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.

Clay County's composite risk percentile is 90th, compared to the Missouri state average of 51th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Clay County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Missouri.

Yes, Clay County's tornado risk is at the 96th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Clay County is at the 88th 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.

Clay County's composite risk score of 90th percentile is above the Missouri state average of 51th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (96th percentile), along with flooding and wildfire and earthquake risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.