Lancaster County Disaster Risk

Lancaster County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 91th 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.

Lancaster County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (99th percentile), wildfire (94th percentile), flooding (85th percentile), earthquake (41th percentile), hurricane (0th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 99th 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.

Lancaster County's composite risk percentile is 91th, compared to the Nebraska state average of 26th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Lancaster County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Nebraska.

Yes, Lancaster County's tornado risk is at the 99th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Lancaster County is at the 85th 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.

Lancaster County's composite risk score of 91th percentile is above the Nebraska state average of 26th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (99th percentile), along with wildfire and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.