Cass County Disaster Risk

Cass County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 31th 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.

Cass County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (74th percentile), tornado (63th percentile), flooding (37th percentile), earthquake (12th percentile), hurricane (0th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 74th 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.

Cass County's composite risk percentile is 31th, compared to the Nebraska state average of 26th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Cass County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Nebraska.

Yes, Cass County's wildfire risk is at the 74th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Cass County is at the 37th 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.

Cass County's composite risk score of 31th percentile is above the Nebraska state average of 26th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (74th percentile), along with tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.