FEMA Records
2
Total declarations
Idaho · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Benewah County, ID
2 FEMA disaster declarations (2020–2021), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 2
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 20
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Benewah County in the top 80% 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 Benewah County compare?
FEMA disaster declarations, this county versus the Idaho county average and the national county average.
- Benewah County
- 2
- Idaho county avg
- 1.7
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Benewah County?
Benewah County, Idaho has recorded 2 FEMA disaster declarations between 2020 and 2021, of which 2 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 2.0 declarations per year across a 1-year record, or roughly 19% above the Idaho county average of 1.7 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 Severe Storm, 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 19.9/100), driven by an Expected Annual Loss rating of Very Low equivalent to roughly $6.4M 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 Landslide (Relatively Moderate).
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 Benewah 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 Benewah County's disaster history compares to state and national averages.
Risk Level
Low
vs. Idaho Avg
+19%
State avg: 1.7
vs. National Avg
-47%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
2.0
Over 1 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar — Benewah County
The radar plots Benewah 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
16009
ID 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 Benewah County by incident type.
Severe Storm 1
Biological 1
Declaration Types
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster — 2 100.0%
of all 2 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
Disaster declarations per year for Benewah County.
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
All 2 FEMA disaster declarations for Benewah County, Idaho.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4589 | STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 2021-03-04 |
| 4534 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-09 |
Storm Events in Idaho
NOAA severe weather data for Idaho (2015–2025). Storm event data is tracked at the state level.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 1,548 | 1 | 13 | $100.9M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1,301 | 9 | 29 | $4.1M |
| Winter Storm | 512 | 4 | 15 | $1.0M |
| High Wind | 487 | 5 | 6 | $12.1M |
| Winter Weather | 337 | 10 | 15 | $2.0M |
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 Benewah County.
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 19.9/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$6.4M/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 Benewah County.
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Avalanche Very Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Drought Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Hail 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 Idaho
Other Idaho counties with similar disaster declaration counts.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Benewah County, Idaho had?
Benewah County, Idaho has received 2 FEMA disaster declarations from 2020 to 2021. Of these, 2 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Benewah County?
The most common disaster type in Benewah County is Severe Storm, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Biological (1).
How does Benewah County's disaster risk compare to the Idaho average?
Benewah County has 2 disaster declarations, which is 19% higher than the Idaho county average of 1.7 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 47% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Benewah County received?
Benewah County has received 2 major disaster declarations, representing 100% of all 2 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Idaho?
The most common storm types in Idaho include Heavy Snow (1,548 events), Thunderstorm Wind (1,301 events), Winter Storm (512 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Benewah County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Benewah County was 2020, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2020 to 2021.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Benewah County?
Based on FEMA declaration history, Benewah 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 Benewah County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Benewah County, Idaho has an overall risk score of 19.9 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 $6.4M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Benewah County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Benewah County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Wildfire (Relatively Low) and Avalanche (Very 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 Benewah County
Benewah County, ID has 2 FEMA disaster declarations on record — a low historical disaster load, 19% above the Idaho county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (2 of 2) — know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Idaho 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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