Hill County Disaster Risk

Hill County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 50th 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.

Hill County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (63th percentile), flooding (43th percentile), earthquake (20th percentile), tornado (8th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 63th 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.

Hill County's composite risk percentile is 50th, compared to the Montana state average of 33th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Hill County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Montana.

Yes, Hill County's wildfire risk is at the 63th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Hill County is at the 43th 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.

Hill County's composite risk score of 50th percentile is above the Montana state average of 33th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (63th percentile). Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.