Sanders County Disaster Risk

Sanders County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 47th 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.

Sanders County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (91th percentile), earthquake (68th percentile), flooding (62th percentile), tornado (5th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 91th 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.

Sanders County's composite risk percentile is 47th, compared to the Montana state average of 33th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Sanders County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Montana.

Yes, Sanders County's wildfire risk is at the 91th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Sanders County is at the 62th 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.

Sanders County's composite risk score of 47th percentile is above the Montana state average of 33th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (91th 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.