Brookings County Disaster Risk

Brookings County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 50th 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.

Brookings County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (80th percentile), wildfire (64th percentile), flooding (48th percentile), earthquake (23th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado 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.

Brookings County's composite risk percentile is 50th, compared to the South Dakota state average of 27th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Brookings County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in South Dakota.

Yes, Brookings County's tornado risk is at the 80th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Brookings County is at the 48th 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.

Brookings County's composite risk score of 50th percentile is above the South Dakota state average of 27th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (80th percentile), along with wildfire risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.