Thurston County Disaster Risk

Thurston County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 26th 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.

Thurston County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (86th percentile), tornado (52th percentile), flooding (19th percentile), earthquake (7th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 86th 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.

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

Yes, Thurston County's wildfire risk is at the 86th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Thurston County is at the 19th 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.

Thurston County's composite risk score of 26th percentile is above the Nebraska state average of 26th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (86th 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.