Vernon County Disaster Risk

Vernon County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low, placing it in the 75th 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.

Vernon County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: flooding (70th percentile), tornado (69th percentile), wildfire (17th percentile), earthquake (13th percentile), hurricane (10th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is flooding at the 70th 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.

Vernon County's composite risk percentile is 75th, compared to the Wisconsin state average of 59th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Relatively Low. This means Vernon County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Wisconsin.

Yes, Vernon County's flooding risk is at the 70th percentile nationally. This is above the national median.

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.

Vernon County's composite risk score of 75th percentile is above the Wisconsin state average of 59th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by flooding exposure (70th percentile), along with tornado risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.