FEMA Records
8
Total declarations
Washington · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Douglas County, WA
8 FEMA disaster declarations (2012–2021), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 8
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 74
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Fire
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Douglas County in the top 26% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 90% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Douglas County compare?
- Douglas County
- 8
- Washington county avg
- 5.8
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Douglas County?
Douglas County, Washington has recorded 8 FEMA disaster declarations between 2012 and 2021, of which 2 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 0.9 declarations per year across a 9-year record, or roughly 38% above the Washington county average of 5.8 and 114% above the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 7 of 8 declarations falling under this category. This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 74.1/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $26.9M in annualized losses), and a Relatively High social-vulnerability profile combined with Very Low community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Wildfire carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Taken together, these indicators put Douglas 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. Washington Avg
+38%
State avg: 5.8
vs. National Avg
+114%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
0.9
Over 9 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Douglas County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Douglas 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
53017
WA state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Fire 7
Biological 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Fire Management - 6 75.0%
of all 8 declarations
Major Disaster - 2 25.0%
of all 8 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 3 | |
| 2018 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4584 | WILDFIRES AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Fire | 2021-02-04 |
| 5351 | COLD SPRINGS/PEARL HILL FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-09-07 |
| 5320 | ROAD 11 FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-07-12 |
| 4481 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-22 |
| 5271 | GRASS VALLEY FIRE | FM | Fire | 2018-08-12 |
| 5261 | CHELAN HILLS FIRE | FM | Fire | 2018-07-28 |
| 5100 | CHELAN FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2015-08-14 |
| 5013 | BARKER CANYON FIRE | FM | Fire | 2012-09-09 |
Storm Events in Washington
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 1,736 | 5 | 13 | $2.4M |
| High Wind | 647 | 15 | 6 | $1.1B |
| Wildfire | 337 | 4 | 4 | $2.3B |
| Winter Weather | 281 | 9 | 62 | $1.1M |
| Flood | 261 | 4 | 0 | $391.7M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 74.1/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$26.9M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Wildfire Relatively Moderate
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Avalanche Very Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Drought Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Tornado Very Low
Ice Storm 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 Washington
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Douglas County, Washington had?
Douglas County, Washington has received 8 FEMA disaster declarations from 2012 to 2021. Of these, 2 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Douglas County?
The most common disaster type in Douglas County is Fire, with 7 declarations. Other disaster types include Biological (1).
How does Douglas County's disaster risk compare to the Washington average?
Douglas County has 8 disaster declarations, which is 38% higher than the Washington county average of 5.8 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 114% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Douglas County received?
Douglas County has received 2 major disaster declarations, representing 25% of all 8 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Washington?
The most common storm types in Washington include Heavy Snow (1,736 events), High Wind (647 events), Wildfire (337 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Douglas County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Douglas County was 2020, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2012 to 2021.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Douglas County?
With 8 FEMA disaster declarations on record, Douglas County lands in the moderate-risk band, not unusually disaster-prone, but not spared either.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Douglas County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Douglas County, Washington has an overall risk score of 74.1 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively High and community resilience is Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $26.9M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Douglas County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Douglas County is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Volcanic Activity (Very Low) and Cold Wave (Relatively Moderate). 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 Douglas County
Douglas County, WA has 8 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a moderate historical disaster load, 38% above the Washington county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is fire management (6 of 8) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Washington 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.