Wheeler County Disaster Risk

Wheeler County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 7th 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.

Wheeler County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (89th percentile), earthquake (18th percentile), flooding (12th percentile), tornado (1th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 89th 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.

Wheeler County's composite risk percentile is 7th, compared to the Oregon state average of 63th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Wheeler County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Oregon.

Yes, Wheeler County's wildfire risk is at the 89th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Wheeler County is at the 12th 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.

Wheeler County's composite risk score of 7th percentile is below the Oregon state average of 63th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is wildfire at the 89th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.