Pondera County Disaster Risk

Pondera County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 25th 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.

Pondera County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (70th percentile), earthquake (51th percentile), flooding (29th percentile), tornado (5th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 70th 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.

Pondera County's composite risk percentile is 25th, compared to the Montana state average of 33th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Pondera County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Montana.

Yes, Pondera County's wildfire risk is at the 70th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Pondera 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.

Pondera County's composite risk score of 25th 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 70th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.