FEMA Records
4
Total declarations
Arkansas · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Craighead County, AR
4 FEMA disaster declarations (2022–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Winter Storm.
- 4
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 92
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Winter Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Craighead County in the top 8% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 59% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Craighead County compare?
- Craighead County
- 4
- Arkansas county avg
- 3.1
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Craighead County?
Craighead County, Arkansas has recorded 4 FEMA disaster declarations between 2022 and 2026, of which 2 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.0 declarations per year across a 4-year record, or roughly 27% above the Arkansas county average of 3.1 and 7% above the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Winter Storm, with 1 of 4 declarations falling under this category. This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 91.8/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $89.6M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively High and community resilience Relatively Moderate, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Ice Storm stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Very High.
Taken together, Craighead 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
+27%
State avg: 3.1
vs. National Avg
+7%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
1.0
Over 4 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Craighead County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Craighead 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
05031
AR state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Winter Storm 1
Flood 1
Severe Storm 1
Tornado 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Emergency - 2 50.0%
of all 4 declarations
Major Disaster - 2 50.0%
of all 4 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3636 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 4873 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2025-05-21 |
| 3627 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | EM | Severe Storm | 2025-04-05 |
| 4633 | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR | Tornado | 2021-12-23 |
Storm Events in Arkansas
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 3,958 | 11 | 29 | $61.8M |
| Hail | 2,443 | 0 | 0 | $8.4M |
| Flash Flood | 1,661 | 12 | 3 | $16.0M |
| Heat | 1,501 | 2 | 325 | $0 |
| Flood | 1,266 | 9 | 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 Moderate
Score: 91.8/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$89.6M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Ice Storm Very High
Earthquake Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively High
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively High
Drought Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Lightning Relatively High
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Landslide Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Hurricane Very Low
Wildfire 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 Arkansas
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Craighead County, Arkansas had?
Craighead County, Arkansas has received 4 FEMA disaster declarations from 2022 to 2026. Of these, 2 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Craighead County?
The most common disaster type in Craighead County is Winter Storm, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Flood (1), Severe Storm (1), Tornado (1).
How does Craighead County's disaster risk compare to the Arkansas average?
Craighead County has 4 disaster declarations, which is 27% higher than the Arkansas county average of 3.1 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 7% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Craighead County received?
Craighead County has received 2 major disaster declarations, representing 50% of all 4 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 (3,958 events), Hail (2,443 events), Flash Flood (1,661 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Craighead County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Craighead County was 2025, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2022 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Craighead County?
Craighead County's 4 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 Craighead County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Craighead County, Arkansas has an overall risk score of 91.8 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively High and community resilience is Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $89.6M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Craighead County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Craighead County is Ice Storm (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Earthquake (Relatively Moderate) 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 Craighead County
Craighead County, AR has 4 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 27% above the Arkansas county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is emergency (2 of 4) - 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.
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.