FEMA Records
6
Low volume
Idaho · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Butte County, ID
6 FEMA disaster declarations (1965-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Biological.
- 6
- FEMA declarations
- 4
- Major disasters
- 4
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Biological
- Top hazard
The verdict
Start with the local benchmark for Butte County: 6 FEMA declaration records are 28% below the Idaho county mean, even though the count is higher than 3% of counties in the national registry. On FEMA's distinct National Risk Index model, which combines expected loss with vulnerability and resilience, the county ranks safer than 4%.
- Safer than 4%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 6
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 2
- biological declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 16023 · Butte County 6 declarations · rank 3153/3,266
DECL-LIGHT · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-MODERATE · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-LIGHT 6
- MAJOR-MID 67%
- RANK-LOWER #3,153
- PHOTO-FINISH Summit
- NRI-LOW Very Low
- ACT-MODERATE Moderate
- TYPE-LEAD Biological
- VS-ST-BELOW -28%
Nearest declaration peer: Summit, CO (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Idaho state profile
Butte County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Butte County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Butte · this county 6
Butte · this county
6 declarations
- Lake · near 6
Lake · near
6 declarations
- Lander · near 6
Lander · near
6 declarations
- Summit · near 6
Summit · near
6 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Butte County carries 6 FEMA declaration records, ranked 3153 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Butte County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Butte County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Butte County
6 3rd percentile higher than 3% of 3,266 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 · 2026-08-25
Butte County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Butte County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $1.2M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Low), while Avalanche carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does Butte County's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits at the very bottom of FEMA's National Risk Index nationally, a composite score of 4.4/100 (rated Very Low). Projected losses are minimal, Expected Annual Loss reads Very Low (roughly $2.7M in annualized losses), and the county's exposure is shaped by a Relatively Moderate social-vulnerability profile and Very Low community resilience. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Avalanche carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 30 years here, based on 1 historical events on record.
Reading the federal records together
No paid-claim row for this county appears in the NFIP county table used by PlainHazard. That absence is not evidence that flooding never occurred: the register observes claims under federal flood-insurance policies, not uninsured losses, emergency reports, or every flood outside the program. The FEMA declaration history below is therefore the available federal-action record on this page.
Start with the state benchmark: a Idaho county averages 8.3 federal declaration records, while Butte County has 6. The gap is 28% below that mean. Fewer entries indicate a quieter history of recorded federal actions, not immunity from a hazard and not a prediction about what happens next.
43 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Butte County, ID · PlainHazard-derived composite from federal records
This 0–100 index is an explicit PlainHazard composite from FEMA declaration history only on the county surface (this DB has no county-level NOAA damage row) . It is not FEMA's National Risk Index, not a forecast, and not a safety, insurance, or preparedness rating. Open the calculator · Methodology
FEMA Declarations (1953–present) Low
4/30
6 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.3x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
9/25
6 declarations (0.7x state county average of 8)
Major Disaster Share High
17/25
4 of 6 declarations are major disasters (67%)
Hazard Diversity High
13/20
5 different disaster types declared in Butte County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Butte County
How to read this radar
Each axis: NRI risk rating (Very Low-Very High) on a 0-100 scale. Rounder = broad exposure; spiky = one or two hazards dominate.
Major Disaster share
67%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
4
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Butte County?
FEMA's National Risk Index models a historical event count and an annualized frequency for each hazard type. Most hazards are expressed as modeled occurrences per year; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 30 years |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 2,000 years |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 706 years |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 104 years |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | an average of 2.1 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | an average of 13 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 1.1 modeled event-days per year |
| Drought | Very Low | 93 modeled event-days per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Lightning | Very Low | an average of 27 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 67 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 4 years |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 4 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Biological 2
Hurricane 1
Severe Storm 1
Earthquake 1
Flood 1
What Biological declarations mean here
Biological is the most frequent declaration type on Butte County's record, 33% of its declarations. In practice this category is dominated by the COVID-19 declarations of 2020, which were issued across every US state and territory rather than in response to any local hazard event.
This has a direct consequence for how Butte County's number should be read. Because those declarations reached essentially every county in the country, they raise every county's total by a similar amount and tell you nothing about local hazard exposure. A county whose record is led by Biological declarations is, in most cases, a county with a genuinely quiet weather-hazard history, the pandemic records are simply the largest thing in an otherwise short list.
Declaration counts describe past federal action. They are a record of what was declared, not a forecast of future hazard probability.
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 4 66.7%
of all 6 declarations
Emergency - 2 33.3%
of all 6 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 1 | |
| 1984 | 1 | |
| 1965 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 6 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 6 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4534 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-09 |
| 3467 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 3244 | HURRICANE KATRINA | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 1177 | SEVERE STORMS, SNOWMELT, LAND/MUD SLIDES, FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1997-06-13 |
| 694 | EARTHQUAKE | DR | Earthquake | 1983-11-18 |
| 186 | HEAVY RAINS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1964-12-31 |
Storm Events in Idaho
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Butte County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 1,495 | 1 | 13 | $100.9M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1,087 | 9 | 26 | $3.6M |
| Winter Storm | 492 | 4 | 15 | $1.0M |
| High Wind | 396 | 4 | 6 | $10.6M |
| Winter Weather | 297 | 10 | 15 | $1.7M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 4.4/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$2.7M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Avalanche Relatively Moderate
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Drought Very Low
Riverine Flooding Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Hail Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Avalanche
Avalanche is the most geographically restricted hazard in the model, limited to steep terrain holding seasonal snow. Its exposure concentrates on mountain roads, rail corridors and backcountry recreation rather than on the built environment generally.
Worth noting for Butte County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Avalanche carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Moderate), while the county's declaration history is led by Biological. That is not a contradiction, the two measure genuinely different things. Declarations record federal ACTION, which requires damage costly enough to exceed state and local capacity; the Risk Index models EXPECTED annual loss across all 18 hazards whether or not any declaration ever followed. A hazard can be the county's largest modeled exposure and never once have driven a declaration.
National Risk Index ratings are modeled estimates of expected annual loss, not predictions of what will happen in any given year.
Data-matched county comparisons
Butte County's closest FEMA peer: Fremont County, WY
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Butte County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Butte County shows 6 FEMA declarations, led by Biological.
Similar Major-disaster share
Butte County: 4 of 6 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Butte County: NRI composite 4.4 (Very Low).
How these peers are chosen
Cohort: Published U.S. county equivalents outside the source state or territory. Each metric keeps six ETL candidates; three unique destinations are shown after de-duplicating across axes. Declaration-volume ranking combines count and Major-disaster share and prefers a different leading incident type; Major-share ranks the Major fraction adjusted for volume; NRI ranks the modeled composite score only.
Retained FEMA snapshot feed for Butte County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Butte County: nearest out-of-state National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar NRI composite
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA NRI score. This county: 4.4 (Very Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 6. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
FEMA's National Risk Index flags Avalanche as the top modeled exposure here (Relatively Moderate); the guide explains how that model differs from declaration counts.
More PlainHazard guides
- Most disaster-prone counties - U.S. counties ranked by FEMA declaration totals.
- Understanding disaster data - declarations vs storm events vs NRI scores.
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not county-specific advice).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Butte County?
The most common disaster type in Butte County is Biological, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Hurricane (1), Severe Storm (1), Earthquake (1).
How does Butte County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Idaho average?
The typical Idaho county has 8.3 FEMA declaration records; Butte County has 6, or 28% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 71% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Butte County received?
Butte County has received 4 major disaster declarations, representing 67% of all 6 disaster declarations.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Butte County?
No. In Butte County, Avalanche has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $1.2M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Butte County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Butte County was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1965 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Butte County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Butte County, Idaho has an overall risk score of 4.4 out of 100 (Very Low). Social vulnerability here rates Relatively Moderate, while community resilience comes in at Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $2.7M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Butte County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Butte County is Avalanche (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Volcanic Activity (Very Low) and Wildfire (Very Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts avalanche here at roughly once every 30 years, drawn from 1 historical events on record. 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.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for Butte County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Idaho profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events