Moody County Disaster Risk

Moody County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 27th 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.

Moody County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (63th percentile), wildfire (54th percentile), flooding (26th percentile), earthquake (13th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 63th 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.

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

Yes, Moody County's tornado risk is at the 63th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Moody County is at the 26th 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.

Moody County's composite risk score of 27th percentile is above the South Dakota state average of 27th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (63th 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.