San Juan County Disaster Risk

San Juan County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 35th 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.

San Juan County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (89th percentile), flooding (58th percentile), wildfire (41th percentile), tornado (4th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 89th 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.

San Juan County's composite risk percentile is 35th, compared to the Washington state average of 70th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means San Juan County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Washington.

Yes, San Juan County's earthquake risk is at the 89th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, San Juan County is at the 58th 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.

San Juan County's composite risk score of 35th percentile is below the Washington state average of 70th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is earthquake at the 89th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.