Howard County Disaster Risk

Howard County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 14th 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.

Howard County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (45th percentile), earthquake (41th percentile), wildfire (32th percentile), flooding (23th percentile), hurricane (10th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 45th 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.

Howard County's composite risk percentile is 14th, compared to the Missouri state average of 51th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Howard County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Missouri.

Yes, Howard County's tornado risk is at the 45th percentile nationally. This is below the national median, indicating relatively lower exposure. For flooding specifically, Howard County is at the 23th 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.

Howard County's composite risk score of 14th 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 45th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.