Buffalo County Disaster Risk

Buffalo County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 15th 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.

Buffalo County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (36th percentile), flooding (25th percentile), wildfire (4th percentile), earthquake (2th percentile), hurricane (0th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 36th 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.

Buffalo County's composite risk percentile is 15th, compared to the Wisconsin state average of 59th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Buffalo County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Wisconsin.

Yes, Buffalo County's tornado risk is at the 36th percentile nationally. This is below the national median, indicating relatively lower exposure. For flooding specifically, Buffalo County is at the 25th 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.

Buffalo County's composite risk score of 15th percentile is below the Wisconsin state average of 59th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is tornado at the 36th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.