Polk County Disaster Risk

Polk County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 63th 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.

Polk County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (76th percentile), flooding (55th percentile), wildfire (42th percentile), earthquake (6th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 76th 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.

Polk County's composite risk percentile is 63th, compared to the Wisconsin state average of 59th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Polk County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Wisconsin.

Yes, Polk County's tornado risk is at the 76th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Polk County is at the 55th 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.

Polk County's composite risk score of 63th percentile is above the Wisconsin state average of 59th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (76th 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.