Walla Walla County Disaster Risk

Walla Walla County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 60th 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.

Walla Walla County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: earthquake (91th percentile), wildfire (84th percentile), flooding (65th percentile), tornado (12th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is earthquake at the 91th 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.

Walla Walla County's composite risk percentile is 60th, compared to the Washington state average of 70th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Walla Walla County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Washington.

Yes, Walla Walla County's earthquake risk is at the 91th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Walla Walla County is at the 65th 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.

Walla Walla County's composite risk score of 60th 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 91th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.