FEMA Records
4
Total declarations
Arkansas · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Desha County, AR
4 FEMA disaster declarations (2023–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Winter Storm.
- 4
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 33
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Winter Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Desha County in the top 67% 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 Desha County compare?
- Desha County
- 4
- Arkansas county avg
- 3.1
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Desha County?
Desha County, Arkansas has recorded 4 FEMA disaster declarations between 2023 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 1.3 declarations per year across a 3-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 2 of 4 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 32.9/100 for this county (Very Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Very Low (roughly $6.5M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Very High) and community resilience (Relatively Moderate) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Even the county's top-rated hazard, Earthquake, only reaches Relatively Low on FEMA's scale, none of the 18 modeled hazards stand out here.
Taken together, Desha 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
1.3
Over 3 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Desha County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Desha 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
05041
AR state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Winter Storm 2
Flood 1
Severe Storm 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 | |
| 2023 | 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 |
| 4700 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Winter Storm | 2023-04-04 |
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
Very Low
Score: 32.9/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$6.5M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Earthquake Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Hurricane Relatively Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Lightning Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Winter Weather 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 Desha County, Arkansas had?
Desha County, Arkansas has received 4 FEMA disaster declarations from 2023 to 2026. Of these, 2 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Desha County?
The most common disaster type in Desha County is Winter Storm, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (1), Severe Storm (1).
How does Desha County's disaster risk compare to the Arkansas average?
Desha 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 Desha County received?
Desha 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 Desha County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Desha County was 2025, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2023 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Desha County?
Desha 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 Desha County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Desha County, Arkansas has an overall risk score of 32.9 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very High and community resilience is Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $6.5M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Desha County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Desha County is Earthquake (risk rating: Relatively Low). Other significant hazards include Drought (Relatively Moderate) and Heat Wave (Relatively Low). 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 Desha County
Desha 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.