McDonald County Disaster Risk

McDonald 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.

McDonald County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: flooding (74th percentile), tornado (73th percentile), wildfire (73th percentile), earthquake (39th percentile), hurricane (32th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is flooding at the 74th 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.

McDonald 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 McDonald County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Missouri.

Yes, McDonald County's flooding risk is at the 74th percentile nationally. This is above the national median.

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.

McDonald County's composite risk score of 64th percentile is above the Missouri state average of 51th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by flooding exposure (74th percentile), along with tornado and wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.