Carbon County Disaster Risk

Carbon County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 43th 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.

Carbon County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (82th percentile), earthquake (61th percentile), flooding (50th percentile), tornado (9th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 82th 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.

Carbon County's composite risk percentile is 43th, compared to the Wyoming state average of 38th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Carbon County faces higher natural disaster risk than the typical county in Wyoming.

Yes, Carbon County's wildfire risk is at the 82th percentile nationally. This places it in the top quartile for this hazard type. For flooding specifically, Carbon County is at the 50th 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.

Carbon County's composite risk score of 43th percentile is above the Wyoming state average of 38th percentile. This elevated risk is driven by wildfire exposure (82th percentile), along with earthquake and flooding risk. Geographic location, terrain, climate patterns, and proximity to flood zones or fault lines all influence a county's risk profile.