Fall River County Disaster Risk

Fall River County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 31th 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.

Fall River County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (94th percentile), flooding (42th percentile), earthquake (35th percentile), tornado (30th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 94th 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.

Fall River County's composite risk percentile is 31th, compared to the South Dakota state average of 27th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Fall River County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in South Dakota.

Yes, Fall River County's wildfire risk is at the 94th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Fall River County is at the 42th 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.

Fall River County's composite risk score of 31th percentile is above the South Dakota state average of 27th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (94th percentile). Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.