FEMA Records
5
Total declarations
California · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Alpine County, CA
5 FEMA disaster declarations (2020–2023), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 5
- FEMA declarations
- 3
- Major disasters
- 11
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Flood
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Alpine County in the top 89% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 72% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Alpine County compare?
- Alpine County
- 5
- California county avg
- 6.9
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Alpine County?
Alpine County, California has recorded 5 FEMA disaster declarations between 2020 and 2023, of which 3 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.7 declarations per year across a 3-year record, or roughly 27% below the California county average of 6.9 and 34% above the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Flood, with 2 of 5 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's National Risk Index places this county in the low end of the national distribution, composite score 10.6/100 (Very Low). Expected Annual Loss is rated Very Low (roughly $4.8M in annualized losses). Two modifiers shape how that exposure becomes real-world harm here: social vulnerability (Relatively Moderate) and community resilience (Relatively Moderate). Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Avalanche stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High.
Taken together, these indicators put Alpine County at a moderate relative risk level, not the calmest county on record, but not among the most disaster-prone either.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Moderate
vs. California Avg
-27%
State avg: 6.9
vs. National Avg
+34%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
1.7
Over 3 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Alpine County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Alpine 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. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
06003
CA state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Flood 2
Severe Storm 1
Fire 1
Biological 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 3 60.0%
of all 5 declarations
Emergency - 2 40.0%
of all 5 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4699 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-04-03 |
| 3592 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | EM | Flood | 2023-03-10 |
| 4683 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2023-01-14 |
| 3571 | CALDOR FIRE | EM | Fire | 2021-09-01 |
| 4482 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-22 |
Storm Events in California
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind | 4,403 | 14 | 29 | $228.9M |
| Flood | 3,518 | 32 | 31 | $990.7M |
| Heavy Snow | 1,916 | 6 | 0 | $1.6M |
| Dense Fog | 1,665 | 55 | 150 | $2.8M |
| Strong Wind | 1,482 | 40 | 43 | $15.7M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 10.6/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$4.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Avalanche Relatively High
Wildfire Relatively Moderate
Landslide Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Hail Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Cold Wave No Rating
Drought No Rating
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 California
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Alpine County, California had?
Alpine County, California has received 5 FEMA disaster declarations from 2020 to 2023. Of these, 3 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Alpine County?
The most common disaster type in Alpine County is Flood, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (1), Fire (1), Biological (1).
How does Alpine County's disaster risk compare to the California average?
Alpine County has 5 disaster declarations, which is 27% lower than the California county average of 6.9 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 34% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Alpine County received?
Alpine County has received 3 major disaster declarations, representing 60% of all 5 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in California?
The most common storm types in California include High Wind (4,403 events), Flood (3,518 events), Heavy Snow (1,916 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Alpine County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Alpine County was 2023, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2020 to 2023.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Alpine County?
With 5 FEMA disaster declarations on record, Alpine County lands in the moderate-risk band, not unusually disaster-prone, but not spared either.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Alpine County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Alpine County, California has an overall risk score of 10.6 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Moderate and community resilience is Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $4.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Alpine County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Alpine County is Avalanche (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Wildfire (Relatively Moderate) and Landslide (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 Alpine County
Alpine County, CA has 5 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a moderate historical disaster load, 27% below the California county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (3 of 5) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. California 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 public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.