About us

Hazard Compass answers a simple question: what natural disasters could affect the place where you live, or the place you are thinking of moving to?

We cover all 3,144 counties in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. For each one we bring together FEMA's ratings for 18 natural hazards, every federal disaster declaration since 1953, and federal flood insurance records, and write them up in plain English.

Why we built it

The data is public, but it is spread across large government datasets that are hard to read. Most people only look for it after something has gone wrong. We think it is more useful before you sign a lease, buy a home or choose an insurance policy.

Who we are

Hazard Compass is run by a small independent team. We are not affiliated with FEMA or any government agency, insurer or real estate company, and we do not sell insurance.

How we keep it accurate

Every number on the site comes from a named public source, which you can read about on how we use the data. We check the disaster declaration list every week and update the risk ratings when FEMA releases a new version. If you spot an error, please tell us and we will fix it.

How the site is paid for

The site is free to use. We plan to show advertising, which never changes the ratings or facts we publish.