Benton County Disaster Risk

Benton 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.

Benton County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (97th percentile), flooding (75th percentile), wildfire (37th percentile), tornado (13th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 97th 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.

Benton County's composite risk percentile is 84th, compared to the Oregon state average of 63th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Benton County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Oregon.

Yes, Benton County's earthquake risk is at the 97th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Benton County is at the 75th 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.

Benton County's composite risk score of 84th percentile is above the Oregon state average of 63th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by earthquake exposure (97th percentile), along with flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.