Racine County Disaster Risk

Racine County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate, placing it in the 85th 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.

Racine County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: tornado (93th percentile), flooding (86th percentile), earthquake (61th percentile), wildfire (30th percentile), hurricane (19th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is tornado at the 93th 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.

Racine County's composite risk percentile is 85th, compared to the Wisconsin state average of 59th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Racine County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Wisconsin.

Yes, Racine County's tornado risk is at the 93th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Racine County is at the 86th 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.

Racine County's composite risk score of 85th percentile is above the Wisconsin state average of 59th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by tornado exposure (93th percentile), along with flooding and earthquake risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.