FEMA Records
10
Low volume
Alaska · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Denali Borough, AK
10 FEMA disaster declarations (2000-2025), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 10
- FEMA declarations
- 7
- Major disasters
- 28
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Denali Borough. Its 10 FEMA declarations are 39% above the Alaska county mean and exceed the count for 10% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it safer than 28%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Safer than 28%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 10
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 5
- severe storm declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Fire Management Assistance (FM) records, which are not presidential disaster declarations, alongside Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records.
How does Denali Borough compare?
Denali Borough vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
10 10th percentile higher than 10% 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 · 2026-08-03
Denali Borough's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Alaska county average
What does Denali Borough's hazard record show?
Declaration frequency
The FEMA register is busy by both local and national comparisons. It contains 10 entries for Denali Borough, including 7 Major Disaster records, 39% above the Alaska county mean. Across the 25-year span, that works out to 0.4 declarations a year. Severe Storm leads the file with 5 entries. Declaration type records the federal action taken, not every assistance program approved.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county's FEMA National Risk Index composite lands at 28.3/100 (Very Low), a modest reading against the rest of the country. Expected Annual Loss is rated Very Low (roughly $11.2M in annualized losses), tempered or compounded by a Very Low social-vulnerability score and Relatively Low community-resilience score. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Avalanche stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Very High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 2 years here, based on 15 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.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Denali Borough's 10 federal records stand 39% above the Alaska county mean of 7.2. That comparison describes how often federal action was recorded, including any Major Disaster, Emergency, and Fire Management entries shown on this page; it does not convert the count into future probability.
52 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Denali Borough, AK · 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
7/30
10 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.5x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
17/25
10 declarations (1.4x state county average of 7)
Major Disaster Share High
18/25
7 of 10 declarations are major disasters (70%)
Hazard Diversity High
10/20
4 different disaster types declared in Denali Borough
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. Alaska Avg
+39%
State avg: 7.2
vs. National Avg
-52%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.4
Over 25 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Denali Borough
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
70%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
28
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Denali Borough?
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. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Very High | roughly once every 2 years |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | an average of 31 times per year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 129 years |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 9 years |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 94 years |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | an average of 6.3 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | an average of 17 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 67 years |
| Lightning | Very Low | an average of 27 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 200 years |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 530 years |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | roughly once every 5,337 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 8,454 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 5
Fire 2
Biological 2
Earthquake 1
What Severe Storm declarations mean here
Severe Storm is the most frequent declaration type on Denali Borough's record, 50% of its declarations. In FEMA's vocabulary this covers convective weather: thunderstorm straight-line winds, large hail, and the multi-day outbreaks that often carry embedded tornadoes. Activity is heaviest in spring and summer, though the season varies by region.
These events behave differently from a hurricane on paper. Damage tends to be distributed along a storm track rather than concentrated on a coastline, and a declaration typically follows an outbreak that crossed several counties over a few days, not a single point of impact. Because the qualifying threshold is the cost of uninsured public and individual losses rather than storm intensity, two similar storms can produce a declaration in one year and none in another.
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 - 7 70.0%
of all 10 declarations
Fire Management - 2 20.0%
of all 10 declarations
Emergency - 1 10.0%
of all 10 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 10 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 10 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5595 | BEAR CREEK FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-06-23 |
| 5442 | CLEAR FIRE | FM | Fire | 2022-06-26 |
| 4648 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 2022-03-24 |
| 4533 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-09 |
| 3446 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4094 | SEVERE STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2012-11-27 |
| 1796 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-09-26 |
| 1663 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2006-10-16 |
| 1440 | EARTHQUAKE | DR | Earthquake | 2002-11-08 |
| 1316 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND AVALANCHES | DR | Severe Storm | 2000-02-17 |
Storm Events in Alaska
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Denali Borough.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind | 709 | 0 | 1 | $8.4M |
| Blizzard | 524 | 0 | 0 | $60.0K |
| Heavy Snow | 439 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Winter Storm | 385 | 0 | 0 | $200.0K |
| Flood | 182 | 0 | 0 | $81.9M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 28.3/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$11.2M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Relatively Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Avalanche Very High
Landslide Relatively Low
Wildfire Relatively Low
Earthquake Relatively Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Riverine Flooding Very Low
Hail Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Drought No Rating
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 Denali Borough: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Avalanche carries the highest modeled rating (Very High), while the county's declaration history is led by Severe Storm. 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
Denali Borough's closest FEMA peer: Douglas County, WI
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Denali Borough. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Denali Borough shows 10 FEMA declarations, led by Severe Storm.
Similar Major-disaster share
Denali Borough: 7 of 10 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Denali Borough: NRI composite 28.3 (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 Denali Borough - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Most disaster-prone counties
With 10 FEMA declarations, Denali Borough sits in the high-volume declaration band - see how that count ranks against other U.S. counties.
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).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Denali Borough?
The most common disaster type in Denali Borough is Severe Storm, with 5 declarations. Other disaster types include Fire (2), Biological (2), Earthquake (1).
How does Denali Borough's FEMA declaration record compare with the Alaska average?
FEMA lists 10 declaration records for Denali Borough. That is 39% above the Alaska county mean of 7.2. Its count is also 52% below the national county mean of 20.7. A larger declaration history records more federal actions; it is not a forecast of the county's next hazard.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Denali Borough received?
Denali Borough has received 7 major disaster declarations, representing 70% of all 10 disaster declarations.
What was the worst year for disasters in Denali Borough?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Denali Borough was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2000 to 2025.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Denali Borough?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Denali Borough, Alaska has an overall risk score of 28.3 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Relatively Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $11.2M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Denali Borough?
FEMA's NRI data points to Denali Borough is Avalanche (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Landslide (Relatively Low) and Wildfire (Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts avalanche here at roughly once every 2 years, drawn from 15 historical events on record. FEMA derives these ratings from historical event frequency, the assets exposed, and the community's vulnerability profile.
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 Denali Borough
Denali Borough, AK has 10 federal declaration records, 39% more than the Alaska county mean of 7; its history sits in PlainHazard's high activity band.
- Within this above-state-average declaration file, major disaster leads with 7 of 10 records; the category describes past federal action, not the next likely hazard. Alaska overview
- The state benchmark and national rank point the same way: this count tops the Alaska mean and the totals for 10% of 3,266 U.S. counties. Most-disaster rankings
- With no NFIP county row, the declaration register and modeled NRI remain distinct evidence rather than substitutes for a claims history. Disaster-data guide
An above-average declaration count records past federal responses; it does not predict the next event. Current warnings come from the National Weather Service and local emergency officials.
PlainHazard derives this profile from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries and National Risk Index data. The declaration comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. 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. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.