FEMA Records
11
Total declarations
Florida · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Bay County, FL
11 FEMA disaster declarations (2021–2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Hurricane.
- 11
- FEMA declarations
- 4
- Major disasters
- 94
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Hurricane
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Bay County in the top 6% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 95% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Bay County compare?
- Bay County
- 11
- Florida county avg
- 11.1
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Bay County?
Bay County, Florida has recorded 11 FEMA disaster declarations between 2021 and 2024, of which 4 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 3.7 declarations per year across a 3-year record, or roughly 1% below the Florida county average of 11.1 and 194% above the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Hurricane, with 5 of 11 declarations falling under this category. This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 94.1/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $157.9M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Low and community resilience Relatively Low, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Hurricane stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Very High.
Taken together, these indicators place Bay County at a high relative risk level, its federal disaster history outpaces most of the country, and it is worth pairing that record with forward-looking hazard maps before making insurance or relocation decisions.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
High
vs. Florida Avg
-1%
State avg: 11.1
vs. National Avg
+194%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
3.7
Over 3 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Bay County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Bay 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
12005
FL state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Hurricane 5
Tropical Storm 4
Fire 2
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Emergency - 5 45.5%
of all 11 declarations
Major Disaster - 4 36.4%
of all 11 declarations
Fire Management - 2 18.2%
of all 11 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | |
| 2023 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 4 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4828 | HURRICANE HELENE | DR | Hurricane | 2024-09-28 |
| 3615 | TROPICAL STORM HELENE | EM | Tropical Storm | 2024-09-24 |
| 4806 | HURRICANE DEBBY | DR | Tropical Storm | 2024-08-10 |
| 3605 | TROPICAL STORM DEBBY | EM | Tropical Storm | 2024-08-03 |
| 4734 | HURRICANE IDALIA | DR | Hurricane | 2023-08-31 |
| 3596 | TROPICAL STORM IDALIA | EM | Tropical Storm | 2023-08-28 |
| 4673 | HURRICANE IAN | DR | Hurricane | 2022-09-29 |
| 3584 | TROPICAL STORM IAN | EM | Hurricane | 2022-09-24 |
| 5426 | CHIPOLA FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2022-03-06 |
| 5424 | 1707 ADKINS AVE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2022-03-04 |
| 3562 | TROPICAL STORM FRED | EM | Hurricane | 2021-08-16 |
Storm Events in Florida
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 5,511 | 20 | 45 | $25.3M |
| Hail | 1,096 | 0 | 0 | $564.6K |
| Heavy Rain | 990 | 2 | 3 | $200.0K |
| Flood | 873 | 9 | 0 | $2.0B |
| Flash Flood | 793 | 0 | 0 | $148.2M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 94.1/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$157.9M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Hurricane Very High
Lightning Very High
Tornado Relatively High
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Coastal Flooding Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Hail Very Low
Drought 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 Florida
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Bay County, Florida had?
Bay County, Florida has received 11 FEMA disaster declarations from 2021 to 2024. Of these, 4 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Bay County?
The most common disaster type in Bay County is Hurricane, with 5 declarations. Other disaster types include Tropical Storm (4), Fire (2).
How does Bay County's disaster risk compare to the Florida average?
Bay County has 11 disaster declarations, which is 1% lower than the Florida county average of 11.1 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 194% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Bay County received?
Bay County has received 4 major disaster declarations, representing 36% of all 11 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Florida?
The most common storm types in Florida include Thunderstorm Wind (5,511 events), Hail (1,096 events), Heavy Rain (990 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Bay County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Bay County was 2022, with 4 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2021 to 2024.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Bay County?
Bay County has recorded 11 FEMA disaster declarations, a volume FEMA data classifies as high-risk, well above what most U.S. counties see over the same period.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Bay County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Bay County, Florida has an overall risk score of 94.1 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Relatively Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $157.9M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Bay County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Bay County is Hurricane (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Lightning (Very High) and Tornado (Relatively High). 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 Bay County
Bay County, FL has 11 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a high historical disaster load, 1% below the Florida county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is emergency (5 of 11) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Florida 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.