Jefferson County Disaster Risk

Jefferson County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 22th 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.

Jefferson County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (89th percentile), earthquake (65th percentile), flooding (29th percentile), tornado (6th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 89th 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.

Jefferson County's composite risk percentile is 22th, compared to the Montana state average of 33th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Jefferson County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Montana.

Yes, Jefferson County's wildfire risk is at the 89th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Jefferson County is at the 29th 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.

Jefferson County's composite risk score of 22th percentile is below the Montana state average of 33th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is wildfire at the 89th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.