Adams County Disaster Risk

Adams County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 64th 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.

Adams County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (80th percentile), wildfire (43th percentile), flooding (33th percentile), earthquake (25th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 80th 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.

Adams County's composite risk percentile is 64th, compared to the Nebraska state average of 26th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Adams County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Nebraska.

Yes, Adams County's tornado risk is at the 80th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Adams County is at the 33th 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.

Adams County's composite risk score of 64th percentile is above the Nebraska state average of 26th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (80th percentile). Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.