Sweetwater County Disaster Risk

Sweetwater County has a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low, placing it in the 31th 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.

Sweetwater County is evaluated for five major natural hazard types: wildfire (66th percentile), earthquake (66th percentile), flooding (52th percentile), tornado (9th percentile). The highest-risk hazard is wildfire at the 66th 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.

Sweetwater County's composite risk percentile is 31th, compared to the Wyoming state average of 38th percentile. The state's overall risk rating is Very Low. This means Sweetwater County faces lower natural disaster risk than the typical county in Wyoming.

Yes, Sweetwater County's wildfire risk is at the 66th percentile nationally. This is above the national median. For flooding specifically, Sweetwater County is at the 52th 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.

Sweetwater County's composite risk score of 31th percentile is below the Wyoming state average of 38th percentile, indicating relatively lower exposure to natural hazards. However, no county is completely risk-free. The primary hazard type is wildfire at the 66th percentile. Residents should still maintain emergency preparedness plans and appropriate insurance coverage.