Dawson County Disaster Risk

Dawson 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.

Dawson County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (60th percentile), flooding (28th percentile), tornado (25th percentile), earthquake (15th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 60th 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.

Dawson County's composite risk percentile is 64th, compared to the Montana state average of 33th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Dawson County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Montana.

Yes, Dawson County's wildfire risk is at the 60th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Dawson County is at the 28th 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.

Dawson County's composite risk score of 64th percentile is above the Montana state average of 33th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (60th percentile). Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.