Payne County Disaster Risk

Payne County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 84th 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.

Payne County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (95th percentile), wildfire (90th percentile), flooding (68th percentile), earthquake (58th percentile), hurricane (30th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 95th 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.

Payne County's composite risk percentile is 84th, compared to the Oklahoma state average of 56th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Payne County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Oklahoma.

Yes, Payne County's tornado risk is at the 95th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Payne County is at the 68th 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.

Payne County's composite risk score of 84th percentile is above the Oklahoma state average of 56th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (95th percentile), along with wildfire and flooding and earthquake risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.