FEMA Records
10
Total declarations
California · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
El Dorado County, CA
10 FEMA disaster declarations (2014–2023), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 10
- FEMA declarations
- 4
- Major disasters
- 91
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Fire
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places El Dorado County in the top 9% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 94% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does El Dorado County compare?
- El Dorado County
- 10
- California county avg
- 6.9
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is El Dorado County?
El Dorado County, California has recorded 10 FEMA disaster declarations between 2014 and 2023, of which 4 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.1 declarations per year across a 9-year record, or roughly 45% above the California county average of 6.9 and 167% above the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 5 of 10 declarations falling under this category. This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 91.4/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $124.3M 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 place El Dorado County at a high relative risk level, its federal disaster history outpaces most of the country, and it is worth pairing that record with forward-looking hazard maps before making insurance or relocation decisions.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
High
vs. California Avg
+45%
State avg: 6.9
vs. National Avg
+167%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
1.1
Over 9 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - El Dorado County
How to read this radar
The radar plots El Dorado 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
06017
CA state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Fire 5
Flood 3
Severe Storm 1
Biological 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 4 40.0%
of all 10 declarations
Emergency - 3 30.0%
of all 10 declarations
Fire Management - 3 30.0%
of all 10 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 3 | |
| 2020 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4699 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-04-03 |
| 3592 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | EM | Flood | 2023-03-10 |
| 4683 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2023-01-14 |
| 3591 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | EM | Flood | 2023-01-09 |
| 5453 | MOSQUITO FIRE | FM | Fire | 2022-09-09 |
| 4619 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 2021-09-12 |
| 3571 | CALDOR FIRE | EM | Fire | 2021-09-01 |
| 5413 | CALDOR FIRE | FM | Fire | 2021-08-17 |
| 4482 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-22 |
| 5081 | KING FIRE | FM | Fire | 2014-09-17 |
Storm Events in California
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind | 4,403 | 14 | 29 | $228.9M |
| Flood | 3,518 | 32 | 31 | $990.7M |
| Heavy Snow | 1,916 | 6 | 0 | $1.6M |
| Dense Fog | 1,665 | 55 | 150 | $2.8M |
| Strong Wind | 1,482 | 40 | 43 | $15.7M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 91.4/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$124.3M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Wildfire Relatively High
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Moderate
Avalanche Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Drought Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Hail Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Tornado Very Low
Cold Wave No Rating
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 California
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has El Dorado County, California had?
El Dorado County, California has received 10 FEMA disaster declarations from 2014 to 2023. Of these, 4 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in El Dorado County?
The most common disaster type in El Dorado County is Fire, with 5 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (3), Severe Storm (1), Biological (1).
How does El Dorado County's disaster risk compare to the California average?
El Dorado County has 10 disaster declarations, which is 45% higher than the California county average of 6.9 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 167% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has El Dorado County received?
El Dorado County has received 4 major disaster declarations, representing 40% of all 10 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in California?
The most common storm types in California include High Wind (4,403 events), Flood (3,518 events), Heavy Snow (1,916 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in El Dorado County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in El Dorado County was 2023, with 4 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2014 to 2023.
What is the overall disaster risk level for El Dorado County?
El Dorado County has recorded 10 FEMA disaster declarations, a volume FEMA data classifies as high-risk, well above what most U.S. counties see over the same period.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for El Dorado County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, El Dorado County, California has an overall risk score of 91.4 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 $124.3M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to El Dorado County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in El Dorado County is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Landslide (Relatively Moderate) and Earthquake (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 El Dorado County
El Dorado County, CA has 10 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a high historical disaster load, 45% above the California county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (4 of 10) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. California 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.