Barnes County Disaster Risk

Barnes County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 46th 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.

Barnes County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (65th percentile), tornado (42th percentile), flooding (41th percentile), earthquake (5th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 65th 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.

Barnes County's composite risk percentile is 46th, compared to the North Dakota state average of 22th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Barnes County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in North Dakota.

Yes, Barnes County's wildfire risk is at the 65th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Barnes County is at the 41th 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.

Barnes County's composite risk score of 46th percentile is above the North Dakota state average of 22th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (65th percentile). Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.