Risk Rating FAQ

What is the Risk Rating?

The risk rating is a single value to describe a properties level of risk from hazards based on three area:

• Expected Annual Loss (EAL) is the natural hazard(s) risk component and associated expected financial impact
• Social Vulnerability measures the susceptibility of social groups to the adverse impacts of natural hazards
• Community Resilience measures a community’s ability to prepare for, adapt to, withstand, and recover from the effects of natural hazards.

What is the source of the Risk Rating data?

The source of the Risk Rating attribute is from the National Risk Index that is maintained by FEMA. More information is available here: https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/learn-more Detailed technical information is available here: National Risk Index Technical Documentation

Are more data attributes available from the National Risk Index?

Yes, while Regrid is only adding the overall Risk Rating attribute to our Parcel Data Premium Schema there are over 400 additional data elements contained within the National Risk Index. These additional data elements can be accessed through the National Risk Index data directly.

What natural hazards are included to form the Risk Rating?

There are 18 natural hazard components that are utilized together within the Risk Index to arrive as the Risk Rating:

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

What does Social Vulnerability mean?

Social Vulnerability is broadly defined as the susceptibility of social groups to the adverse impacts of natural hazards, including disproportionate death, injury, loss, or disruption of livelihood. Social Vulnerability considers the social, economic, demographic, and housing characteristics of a community that influence its ability to prepare for, respond to, cope with, recover from, and adapt to environmental hazards

What does Community Resilience mean?

Community Resilience is defined by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as the ability of a community to prepare for anticipated natural hazards, adapt to changing conditions, and withstand and recover rapidly from disruptions

Is the risk rating data specific to each parcel?

No, the Risk Rating is calculated at the Census Tract level and populated to each parcel

What are the values that will be returned with the Risk Rating and what do they mean?

• Very High = 80th to 100th percentile
• Reasonably High = 60th to 80th percentile
• Relatively Moderate = 40th to 60th percentile
• Reasonably Low = 20th to 40th percentile
• Very Low = 0 to 20th percentile

When is the Risk Index updated?

The National Risk Index team at FEMA continuously updates the National Risk Index as new data become available and improved methodologies are identified. FEMA has committed to providing regular updates to the National Risk Index but does not publish a schedule or calendar. An annual to 18 month refresh of the Risk Rating is likely.

Regrid performs backfill of the Risk Rating to new parcels, created through our parcel update process, on a monthly basis. These updates use the then current data, not new data from FEMA.