FEMA Records
2
Total declarations
Oregon · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Benton County, OR
2 FEMA disaster declarations (2021–2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 2
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 84
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Benton County in the top 16% 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 Benton County compare?
- Benton County
- 2
- Oregon county avg
- 3.3
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Benton County?
Benton County, Oregon has recorded 2 FEMA disaster declarations between 2021 and 2024, of which 2 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 0.7 declarations per year across a 3-year record, or roughly 39% below the Oregon county average of 3.3 and 47% below the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Severe Storm, with 2 of 2 declarations falling under this category. This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 84.4/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $63.8M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Very Low and community resilience Very High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Landslide carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Taken together, Benton 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. Oregon Avg
-39%
State avg: 3.3
vs. National Avg
-47%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
0.7
Over 3 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Benton County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Benton 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
41003
OR state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 2
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
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
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4768 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-04-13 |
| 4599 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2021-05-04 |
Storm Events in Oregon
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind | 887 | 13 | 13 | $3.2B |
| Heavy Snow | 687 | 2 | 0 | $139.3M |
| Frost/Freeze | 414 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Wildfire | 325 | 15 | 38 | $15.1M |
| Flood | 271 | 3 | 1 | $69.4M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 84.4/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$63.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Cold Wave Very Low
Drought Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Avalanche Very Low
Hail Very Low
Coastal Flooding 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 Oregon
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Benton County, Oregon had?
Benton County, Oregon has received 2 FEMA disaster declarations from 2021 to 2024. Of these, 2 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Benton County?
The most common disaster type in Benton County is Severe Storm, with 2 declarations.
How does Benton County's disaster risk compare to the Oregon average?
Benton County has 2 disaster declarations, which is 39% lower than the Oregon county average of 3.3 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 47% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Benton County received?
Benton 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 Oregon?
The most common storm types in Oregon include High Wind (887 events), Heavy Snow (687 events), Frost/Freeze (414 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Benton County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Benton County was 2021, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2021 to 2024.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Benton County?
Benton County's 2 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 Benton County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Benton County, Oregon has an overall risk score of 84.4 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $63.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Benton County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Benton County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Earthquake (Relatively Moderate) and Heat Wave (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 Benton County
Benton County, OR has 2 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 39% below the Oregon county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (2 of 2) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Oregon 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.