Editorial standards
How we write, rate, and source this site
We are an independent publisher. We are not FEMA, NOAA, USGS, or any insurance company.
What the 1–5 ratings are
Each state × hazard score is a statewide starting point inspired by public data (including FEMA’s National Risk Index style of comparison), not a model of your parcel. Two houses in the same ZIP can have different flood, fire, or wind stories. If you remember one sentence: use the rating to decide what to look up, then look it up on the official map.
How a page gets written
- We start from official guidance and the state’s emergency-management site.
- The page is drafted to house style: second person, no invented statistics, insurance caveats where they matter (flood and earthquake are the usual exclusions).
- Every hazard profile links out so you can verify. If a number is not in those sources, we do not make one up.
- The byline date is when the page was last reviewed, not when a storm happened.
Sources we actually use
- FEMA — flood maps, NFIP, National Risk Index
- FloodSmart / NFIP
- NOAA and the National Weather Service
- USGS — earthquakes and landslides
- Ready.gov
- Each state’s emergency management agency (linked on the state page)
What we are not
HomeRiskMap is not professional engineering, insurance, or legal advice. It is not an official warning. In an emergency, follow local authorities. Call 911 if you need immediate help.
Want the full detail? Read our detailed methodology: exactly how the 1–5 scores are calculated, every data source, and what the ratings can and can’t tell you.
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