FEMA Records
2
Total declarations
Washington · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Adams County, WA
2 FEMA disaster declarations (2020–2022), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 2
- FEMA declarations
- 1
- Major disasters
- 23
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Fire
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Adams County in the top 77% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 22% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Adams County compare?
FEMA disaster declarations, this county versus the Washington county average and the national county average.
- Adams County
- 2
- Washington county avg
- 5.8
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Adams County?
Adams County, Washington has recorded 2 FEMA disaster declarations between 2020 and 2022, of which 1 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.0 declarations per year across a 2-year record, or roughly 65% below the Washington county average of 5.8 and 47% below the national county average of 3.7. Declaration counts reflect federal recognition of event severity, not pure hazard frequency — smaller incidents handled locally never appear in FEMA's ledger.
The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 1 of 2 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's National Risk Index assigns this county an overall risk rating of Very Low (composite score 23.2/100), driven by an Expected Annual Loss rating of Very Low equivalent to roughly $7.4M in annualized losses. Social vulnerability scores Relatively Moderate and community resilience scores Very Low — two factors that modify raw hazard exposure into actual harm. The single highest-risk natural hazard identified for this county is Wildfire (Relatively Low).
NFIP flood insurance claims data for this county is not present in the FEMA claims extract, which typically indicates either low historical flood activity or low policy penetration. Taken together, these indicators place Adams County at a low relative risk level for federally recognized disasters. Households should pair this historical lens with forward-looking hazard maps — flood zones, wildfire risk overlays, and seismic zones published by FEMA and state emergency management — before making preparedness, insurance, or relocation decisions.
Risk Assessment
How Adams County's disaster history compares to state and national averages.
Risk Level
Low
vs. Washington Avg
-65%
State avg: 5.8
vs. National Avg
-47%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
1.0
Over 2 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar — Adams County
The radar plots Adams County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
53001
WA state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Breakdown of 2 FEMA disaster declarations in Adams County by incident type.
Fire 1
Biological 1
Declaration Types
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Fire Management — 1 50.0%
of all 2 declarations
Major Disaster — 1 50.0%
of all 2 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
Disaster declarations per year for Adams County.
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
All 2 FEMA disaster declarations for Adams County, Washington.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5447 | LIND FIRE | FM | Fire | 2022-08-04 |
| 4481 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-22 |
Storm Events in Washington
NOAA severe weather data for Washington (2015–2025). Storm event data is tracked at the state level.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 1,736 | 5 | 13 | $2.4M |
| High Wind | 647 | 15 | 6 | $1.1B |
| Wildfire | 337 | 4 | 4 | $2.3B |
| Winter Weather | 281 | 9 | 62 | $1.1M |
| Flood | 261 | 4 | 0 | $391.7M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's composite risk score combining 18 natural hazard types, social vulnerability, and community resilience for Adams County.
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 23.2/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$7.4M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Risk rating for each of the 18 FEMA NRI natural hazard types in Adams County.
Wildfire Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Earthquake Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Drought Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Washington
Other Washington counties with similar disaster declaration counts.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Adams County, Washington had?
Adams County, Washington has received 2 FEMA disaster declarations from 2020 to 2022. Of these, 1 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Adams County?
The most common disaster type in Adams County is Fire, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Biological (1).
How does Adams County's disaster risk compare to the Washington average?
Adams County has 2 disaster declarations, which is 65% lower than the Washington county average of 5.8 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 47% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Adams County received?
Adams County has received 1 major disaster declaration, representing 50% of all 2 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Washington?
The most common storm types in Washington include Heavy Snow (1,736 events), High Wind (647 events), Wildfire (337 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Adams County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Adams County was 2020, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2020 to 2022.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Adams County?
Based on FEMA declaration history, Adams County has a low disaster risk level with 2 total declarations. This county has relatively few disaster declarations compared to the national average.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Adams County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Adams County, Washington has an overall risk score of 23.2 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Moderate and community resilience is Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $7.4M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Adams County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Adams County is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively Low). Other significant hazards include Cold Wave (Relatively Low) and Earthquake (Relatively Low). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Adams County
Adams County, WA has 2 FEMA disaster declarations on record — a low historical disaster load, 65% below the Washington county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is fire management (1 of 2) — know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Washington overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA — Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 — all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) — per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database — state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
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