Wayne County Disaster Risk

Wayne County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 67th 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.

Wayne County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (86th percentile), tornado (70th percentile), flooding (69th percentile), wildfire (47th percentile), hurricane (36th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 86th 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.

Wayne County's composite risk percentile is 67th, compared to the Missouri state average of 51th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Wayne County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Missouri.

Yes, Wayne County's earthquake risk is at the 86th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Wayne County is at the 69th 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.

Wayne County's composite risk score of 67th percentile is above the Missouri state average of 51th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (86th percentile), along with tornado and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.