About ClimateRiskCheck

ClimateRiskCheck is a free tool that helps homeowners, renters, and prospective home buyers understand the natural disaster risk profile of any US location — by city, county, or ZIP code. No account required. No cost.

Data Source: FEMA National Risk Index

All risk data comes from the FEMA National Risk Index (NRI), a publicly available dataset published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The NRI scores every US county across 18 natural hazard types using expected annual loss data, social vulnerability, and community resilience factors.

The 18 Natural Hazards

ClimateRiskCheck covers every hazard type in the FEMA NRI dataset:

• Riverine Flooding
• Earthquake
• Wildfire
• Tornado
• Hurricane
• Strong Wind
• Hail
• Drought
• Extreme Heat
• Winter Weather
• Lightning
• Landslide
• Tsunami
• Volcanic Activity
• Avalanche
• Coastal Flooding
• Cold Wave
• Ice Storm

How Scores Are Calculated

FEMA NRI county-level risk ratings are normalized to a 1–10 scale using percentile ranking across all US counties (1 = lowest risk, 10 = highest risk). The overall score for a location is the average of all 18 individual hazard scores.

ZIP code and city scores are derived from the FEMA data for the parent county, since FEMA publishes county-level data only. Local topography, building codes, and other micro-level factors are not captured in these scores.

Risk Categories

• Very High (8–10): Significantly elevated risk
• High (6–8): Above-average risk
• Moderate (4–6): Average US risk level
• Low (2–4): Below-average risk
• Very Low (1–2): Among the safest areas in the US

Limitations & Disclaimer

ClimateRiskCheck is for general informational purposes only. Risk scores reflect county-level data as of the most recent FEMA NRI update and may not reflect local conditions, recent development, updated flood maps, or other site-specific factors. Do not rely solely on ClimateRiskCheck for insurance decisions, real estate transactions, or emergency preparedness planning. Always consult official FEMA resources, your local emergency management office, and a licensed insurance professional.

Contact

Questions or feedback? Email us at info@climateriskcheck.com.