FEMA Records
6
Total declarations
Oregon · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Deschutes County, OR
6 FEMA disaster declarations (2014–2025), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 6
- FEMA declarations
- 0
- Major disasters
- 85
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Fire
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Deschutes County in the top 15% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 81% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Deschutes County compare?
- Deschutes County
- 6
- Oregon county avg
- 3.3
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Deschutes County?
Deschutes County, Oregon has recorded 6 FEMA disaster declarations between 2014 and 2025, of which 0 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 0.5 declarations per year across a 11-year record, or roughly 83% above the Oregon county average of 3.3 and 60% above the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 6 of 6 declarations falling under this category. This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 84.9/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $66.1M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Very Low and community resilience Relatively High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Wildfire stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High.
Taken together, these indicators put Deschutes County at a moderate relative risk level, not the calmest county on record, but not among the most disaster-prone either.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Moderate
vs. Oregon Avg
+83%
State avg: 3.3
vs. National Avg
+60%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
0.5
Over 11 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Deschutes County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Deschutes 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
41017
OR state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Fire 6
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Fire Management - 6 100.0%
of all 6 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5610 | FLAT FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-08-23 |
| 5527 | MILE MARKER 132 FIRE | FM | Fire | 2024-08-02 |
| 5500 | DARLENE 3 FIRE | FM | Fire | 2024-06-25 |
| 5394 | 0419 FIRE | FM | Fire | 2021-06-30 |
| 5196 | MILLI 0843 CS FIRE | FM | Fire | 2017-08-17 |
| 5056 | TWO BULLS FIRE | FM | Fire | 2014-06-08 |
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: 84.9/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$66.1M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Wildfire Relatively High
Volcanic Activity Relatively Moderate
Avalanche Relatively High
Lightning Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively Low
Landslide Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Drought Very Low
Tornado 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 Oregon
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Deschutes County, Oregon had?
Deschutes County, Oregon has received 6 FEMA disaster declarations from 2014 to 2025.
What is the most common disaster type in Deschutes County?
The most common disaster type in Deschutes County is Fire, with 6 declarations.
How does Deschutes County's disaster risk compare to the Oregon average?
Deschutes County has 6 disaster declarations, which is 83% higher than the Oregon county average of 3.3 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 60% higher.
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 Deschutes County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Deschutes County was 2024, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2014 to 2025.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Deschutes County?
With 6 FEMA disaster declarations on record, Deschutes County lands in the moderate-risk band, not unusually disaster-prone, but not spared either.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Deschutes County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Deschutes County, Oregon has an overall risk score of 84.9 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $66.1M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Deschutes County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Deschutes County is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Volcanic Activity (Relatively Moderate) and Avalanche (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 Deschutes County
Deschutes County, OR has 6 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a moderate historical disaster load, 83% above the Oregon county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is fire management (6 of 6) - 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.