Benson County Disaster Risk

Benson County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 24th 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.

Benson County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (80th percentile), tornado (21th percentile), flooding (7th percentile), earthquake (2th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire 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.

Benson County's composite risk percentile is 24th, compared to the North Dakota state average of 22th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Benson County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in North Dakota.

Yes, Benson County's wildfire risk is at the 80th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Benson County is at the 7th 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.

Benson County's composite risk score of 24th percentile is above the North Dakota state average of 22th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (80th percentile). Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.