Laclede County Disaster Risk

Laclede County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 66th 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.

Laclede County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (81th percentile), wildfire (78th percentile), flooding (61th percentile), tornado (59th percentile), hurricane (21th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 81th 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.

Laclede County's composite risk percentile is 66th, compared to the Missouri state average of 51th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Laclede County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Missouri.

Yes, Laclede County's earthquake risk is at the 81th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Laclede County is at the 61th 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.

Laclede County's composite risk score of 66th percentile is above the Missouri state average of 51th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (81th percentile), along with wildfire and flooding and tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.