Lawrence County Disaster Risk

Lawrence County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 49th 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.

Lawrence County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (93th percentile), flooding (57th percentile), earthquake (38th percentile), tornado (38th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 93th 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.

Lawrence County's composite risk percentile is 49th, compared to the South Dakota state average of 27th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Lawrence County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in South Dakota.

Yes, Lawrence County's wildfire risk is at the 93th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Lawrence County is at the 57th 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.

Lawrence County's composite risk score of 49th percentile is above the South Dakota state average of 27th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (93th 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.