Hutchinson County Disaster Risk

Hutchinson County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 48th 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.

Hutchinson County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (69th percentile), tornado (65th percentile), flooding (35th percentile), earthquake (26th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 69th 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.

Hutchinson County's composite risk percentile is 48th, compared to the South Dakota state average of 27th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Hutchinson County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in South Dakota.

Yes, Hutchinson County's wildfire risk is at the 69th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Hutchinson County is at the 35th 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.

Hutchinson County's composite risk score of 48th percentile is above the South Dakota state average of 27th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (69th percentile), along with tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.