Lewis and Clark County Disaster Risk

Lewis and Clark County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 71th 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.

Lewis and Clark County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (93th percentile), earthquake (87th percentile), flooding (65th percentile), tornado (9th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 93th 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.

Lewis and Clark County's composite risk percentile is 71th, compared to the Montana state average of 33th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Lewis and Clark County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Montana.

Yes, Lewis and Clark County's wildfire risk is at the 93th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Lewis and Clark County is at the 65th 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.

Lewis and Clark County's composite risk score of 71th percentile is above the Montana state average of 33th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (93th percentile), along with earthquake and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.