FEMA Records
6
Low volume
Alaska · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Dillingham Census Area, AK
6 FEMA disaster declarations (1989-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Biological.
- 6
- FEMA declarations
- 5
- Major disasters
- 36
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Biological
- Top hazard
The verdict
Start with the local benchmark for Dillingham Census Area: 6 FEMA declaration records are 17% below the Alaska 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 36%.
- Safer than 36%
- 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.
How does Dillingham Census Area compare?
Dillingham Census Area vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
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 · 2026-08-03
Dillingham Census Area's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Alaska county average
What does Dillingham Census Area's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 35.7/100 for this county (Very Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Very Low (roughly $6.7M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Very High) and community resilience (Relatively Low) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Cold Wave stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 2.6 times per year here, based on 45 historical events on record.
Declaration frequency
The state comparison is the clearest context for Dillingham Census Area's moderate federal record. Its 6 declarations sit 17% below the Alaska county mean, with 5 Major Disaster entries among them. 2 records concern Biological, the file's most frequent incident type. Spread across 31 years, the registry rate is 0.2 per year. FEMA reports authorized programs separately from the DR, EM, and FM codes.
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 Alaska county averages 7.2 federal declaration records, while Dillingham Census Area has 6. The gap is 17% 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.
45 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Dillingham Census Area, 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
4/30
6 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.3x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
10/25
6 declarations (0.8x state county average of 7)
Major Disaster Share Very High
21/25
5 of 6 declarations are major disasters (83%)
Hazard Diversity High
10/20
4 different disaster types declared in Dillingham Census Area
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
Moderate
vs. Alaska Avg
-17%
State avg: 7.2
vs. National Avg
-71%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.2
Over 31 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Dillingham Census Area
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
83%
Mostly major
NRI risk score
36
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Dillingham Census Area?
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | an average of 2.6 times per year |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | an average of 26 times per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 26 years |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | roughly once every 30 years |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 1,184 years |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 40 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | an average of 12 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 100 years |
| Lightning | Very Low | an average of 16 times per year |
| Tsunami | Very Low | roughly once every 73 years |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 67 years |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | roughly once every 6,717,124 years |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 912 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 344,082 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Biological 2
Severe Storm 2
Flood 1
Freezing 1
What Biological declarations mean here
Biological is the most frequent declaration type on Dillingham Census Area'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 Dillingham Census Area'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 - 5 83.3%
of all 6 declarations
Emergency - 1 16.7%
of all 6 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2012 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 1 | |
| 1989 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4533 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-09 |
| 3446 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4050 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-12-22 |
| 1423 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2002-06-26 |
| 1316 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND AVALANCHES | DR | Severe Storm | 2000-02-17 |
| 826 | SEVERE FREEZING | DR | Freezing | 1989-05-10 |
Storm Events in Alaska
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Dillingham Census Area.
| 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: 35.7/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$6.7M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Relatively Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Cold Wave Relatively High
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Avalanche Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Riverine Flooding Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Tsunami Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Hail Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Coastal Flooding No Rating
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: Cold Wave
Cold Wave measures exposure to extreme cold rather than to snow. Its harm is concentrated in health effects, burst infrastructure and energy demand spikes, and it falls hardest where the building stock and the grid were not built with sustained cold in mind.
Worth noting for Dillingham Census Area: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Cold Wave carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively High), 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
Dillingham Census Area's closest FEMA peer: Fremont County, WY
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Dillingham Census Area. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Dillingham Census Area shows 6 FEMA declarations, led by Biological.
Similar Major-disaster share
Dillingham Census Area: 5 of 6 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Dillingham Census Area: NRI composite 35.7 (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 Dillingham Census Area - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
FEMA's National Risk Index flags Cold Wave as the top modeled exposure here (Relatively High); 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).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Dillingham Census Area?
The most common disaster type in Dillingham Census Area is Biological, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (2), Flood (1), Freezing (1).
How does Dillingham Census Area's FEMA declaration record compare with the Alaska average?
The typical Alaska county has 7.2 FEMA declaration records; Dillingham Census Area has 6, or 17% 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 Dillingham Census Area received?
Dillingham Census Area has received 5 major disaster declarations, representing 83% of all 6 disaster declarations.
What was the worst year for disasters in Dillingham Census Area?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Dillingham Census Area was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1989 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Dillingham Census Area?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Dillingham Census Area, Alaska has an overall risk score of 35.7 out of 100 (Very Low). Social vulnerability here rates Very High, while community resilience comes in at Relatively Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $6.7M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Dillingham Census Area?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Dillingham Census Area as of the latest release is Cold Wave (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Landslide (Relatively Moderate) and Earthquake (Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts cold wave here at an average of 2.6 times per year, drawn from 45 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 Dillingham Census Area
Against a Alaska county mean of 7 declarations, Dillingham Census Area, AK records 6, or 17% fewer. PlainHazard classifies that historical total as moderate activity.
- Major Disaster is the largest group (5 of 6) in a declaration history that remains below its state benchmark; frequency here is not a forecast. Alaska overview
- Nationally the county exceeds 3% of recorded county totals, but its own Alaska benchmark is higher. The ranking keeps those two contexts separate. 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
A below-average federal record is not a safety guarantee. Use National Weather Service alerts and local emergency-management notices for present conditions, not this historical comparison.
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.