FEMA Records
3
Total declarations
Arkansas · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Baxter County, AR
3 FEMA disaster declarations (2024–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 3
- FEMA declarations
- 1
- Major disasters
- 72
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Baxter County ranks in the riskiest 28% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 41% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively Low, based on 3 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2024, most often severe storm, 22% below the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 28%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 3
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 2
- severe storm declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does Baxter County compare?
Baxter County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
3 41st percentile higher than 41% of 2,791 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-07-25
Baxter County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Arkansas county average
How disaster-prone is Baxter County?
Declaration frequency
Baxter County, Arkansas has recorded 3 FEMA disaster declarations between 2024 and 2026, of which 1 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.5 declarations per year across a 2-year record, or roughly 5% below the Arkansas county average of 3.1 and 22% below the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Severe Storm, with 2 of 3 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 72.3/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $21.0M in annualized losses), and a Very High social-vulnerability profile combined with Very Low community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Ice Storm stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Very High.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, Baxter County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. Arkansas Avg
-5%
State avg: 3.1
vs. National Avg
-22%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
1.5
Over 2 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Baxter County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Baxter 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
05005
AR state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 2
Winter Storm 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Emergency - 2 66.7%
of all 3 declarations
Major Disaster - 1 33.3%
of all 3 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3636 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 3627 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | EM | Severe Storm | 2025-04-05 |
| 4788 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-05-30 |
Storm Events in Arkansas
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 4,297 | 11 | 31 | $64.2M |
| Hail | 2,694 | 0 | 0 | $9.8M |
| Flash Flood | 1,737 | 15 | 3 | $16.1M |
| Heat | 1,676 | 3 | 325 | $0 |
| Flood | 1,352 | 10 | 0 | $40.2M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 72.3/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$21.0M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Ice Storm Very High
Strong Wind Relatively High
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Landslide Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Hurricane Very Low
Hail Relatively Low
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 Arkansas
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Baxter County, Arkansas had?
Baxter County, Arkansas has received 3 FEMA disaster declarations from 2024 to 2026. Of these, 1 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Baxter County?
The most common disaster type in Baxter County is Severe Storm, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Winter Storm (1).
How does Baxter County's disaster risk compare to the Arkansas average?
Baxter County has 3 disaster declarations, which is 5% lower than the Arkansas county average of 3.1 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 22% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Baxter County received?
Baxter County has received 1 major disaster declaration, representing 33% of all 3 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Arkansas?
The most common storm types in Arkansas include Thunderstorm Wind (4,297 events), Hail (2,694 events), Flash Flood (1,737 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Baxter County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Baxter County was 2024, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2024 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Baxter County?
Baxter County's 3 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Baxter County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Baxter County, Arkansas has an overall risk score of 72.3 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very High and community resilience is Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $21.0M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Baxter County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Baxter County is Ice Storm (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Strong Wind (Relatively High) and Tornado (Relatively Moderate). 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 Baxter County
Baxter County, AR runs 5% below the Arkansas county average for federal disaster declarations (3 vs 3), a low historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is emergency (2 of 3) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Arkansas 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.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. 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 national statistics report, or report a data error.