FEMA Records
27
High volume
California · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
El Dorado County, CA
27 FEMA disaster declarations (1965-2023), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 27
- FEMA declarations
- 16
- Major disasters
- 91
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
El Dorado County has a nationally busy FEMA history: 27 declarations, more than 78% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 5% below the California county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county in the riskiest 9%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Riskiest 9%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Moderate
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 27
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 207
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Fire Management Assistance (FM) records, which are not presidential disaster declarations, alongside Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 06017 · El Dorado County 27 declarations · rank 693/3,266
DECL-HEAVY · MAJOR-MID · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-MID · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-HEAVY 27
- MAJOR-MID 59%
- RANK-MID #693
- PHOTO-FINISH Greene
- NRI-MID 91
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Severe Storm
- VS-ST-BELOW -5%
Nearest declaration peer: Greene, MO (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · California state profile
El Dorado County among high-volume declaration counties
FEMA declaration records among El Dorado County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Coal · near 27
Coal · near
27 declarations
- El Dorado · this county 27
El Dorado · this county
27 declarations
- Greene · near 27
Greene · near
27 declarations
- Warren · near 27
Warren · near
27 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows El Dorado County carries 27 FEMA declaration records, ranked 693 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Where El Dorado County ranks in the national declaration registry
El Dorado County vs. high-volume counties in this registry
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · El Dorado County
27 Top 22% higher than 78% 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 · 2026-08-25
El Dorado County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for El Dorado County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $55.9M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Very High), while Wildfire carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High). EAL and risk score use different inputs; they need not agree.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release) - Expected Annual Loss vs composite risk rating by hazard.
What does El Dorado County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 207 paid claims, totaling $4.0M. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $19.5K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
Start with the state benchmark: a California county averages 28.5 federal declaration records, while El Dorado County has 27. The gap is 5% 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.
FEMA National Risk Index
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. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 83 years here.
62 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
El Dorado County, CA · 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) High
20/30
27 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.3x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
12/25
27 declarations (0.9x state county average of 29)
Major Disaster Share High
15/25
16 of 27 declarations are major disasters (59%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
15/20
6 different disaster types declared in El Dorado County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - El Dorado County
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
59%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
91
Relatively Moderate
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike El Dorado County?
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; FEMA expresses drought and heat-wave frequency as event-days per year. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | roughly once every 83 years |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | an average of 3.1 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | an average of 1.1 times per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 50 years |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | roughly once every 3 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | an average of 28 times per year |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 63 modeled event-days per year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 14 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 4.4 modeled event-days per year |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 10,000 years |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 6 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | roughly once every 14 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 7 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 8
Flood 8
Fire 7
Biological 2
Hurricane 1
Drought 1
What Severe Storm declarations mean here
Severe Storm is the most frequent declaration type on El Dorado County's record, 30% of its declarations. In FEMA's vocabulary this covers convective weather: thunderstorm straight-line winds, large hail, and the multi-day outbreaks that often carry embedded tornadoes. Activity is heaviest in spring and summer, though the season varies by region.
These events behave differently from a hurricane on paper. Damage tends to be distributed along a storm track rather than concentrated on a coastline, and a declaration typically follows an outbreak that crossed several counties over a few days, not a single point of impact. Because the qualifying threshold is the cost of uninsured public and individual losses rather than storm intensity, two similar storms can produce a declaration in one year and none in another.
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 - 16 59.3%
of all 27 declarations
Emergency - 6 22.2%
of all 27 declarations
Fire Management - 5 18.5%
of all 27 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 3 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 3 | |
| 2014 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 1 | |
| 1995 | 2 | |
| 1986 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 1 | |
Show 2 earlier declaration years
| 1969 | 1 | |
| 1965 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 27 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 27 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| 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 |
| 3428 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4434 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2019-05-17 |
| 4308 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2017-04-01 |
| 4305 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2017-03-16 |
| 4301 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2017-02-14 |
| 5081 | KING FIRE | FM | Fire | 2014-09-17 |
| 2700 | ANGORA FIRE | FM | Fire | 2007-06-24 |
| 1646 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2006-06-05 |
| 1628 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2006-02-03 |
| 3248 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 2532 | CA-HOLLOW FIRE-07-14-2004 | FM | Fire | 2004-07-14 |
Show 7 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1155 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUD AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 1997-01-04 |
| 1046 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING LANDSLIDES, MUD FLOW | DR | Severe Storm | 1995-03-12 |
| 1044 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, MUD FLOWS | DR | Severe Storm | 1995-01-10 |
| 758 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1986-02-21 |
| 3023 | DROUGHT | EM | Drought | 1977-01-20 |
| 253 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1969-01-26 |
| 183 | HEAVY RAINS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1964-12-24 |
Storm Events in California
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to El Dorado County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind | 4,070 | 13 | 27 | $228.2M |
| Flood | 3,132 | 26 | 25 | $985.1M |
| Heavy Snow | 1,814 | 6 | 0 | $1.6M |
| Dense Fog | 1,605 | 52 | 148 | $2.8M |
| Drought | 1,421 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
207
Total Paid
$4.0M
Avg Per Claim
$19.5K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
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
Riverine Flooding 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) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
The model's sharpest exposure here: Wildfire
Wildfire risk in the model reflects fuel, terrain, weather and how much development sits in the wildland-urban interface. It is one of the few hazards where the exposure is materially changed by land management and building choices, not only by where the county happens to be.
Worth noting for El Dorado County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Wildfire carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively High), while the county's declaration history is led by Severe Storm. 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
El Dorado County's closest FEMA peer: Ceiba Municipio, PR
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for El Dorado County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
El Dorado County shows 27 FEMA declarations, led by Severe Storm.
Similar Major-disaster share
El Dorado County: 16 of 27 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
El Dorado County: NRI composite 91.4 (Relatively Moderate).
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 El Dorado County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for El Dorado County: nearest out-of-state National Risk Index composite and nearest FEMA declaration count (floor ≥5 records). Record similarity only, not a forecast of the next hazard.
Similar NRI composite
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA NRI score. This county: 91.4 (Relatively Moderate).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 27. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
El Dorado County's NFIP claims file (207 claims) and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records - this guide separates them from modeled NRI risk.
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).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in El Dorado County?
The most common disaster type in El Dorado County is Severe Storm, with 8 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (8), Fire (7), Biological (2).
How does El Dorado County's FEMA declaration record compare with the California average?
The typical California county has 28.5 FEMA declaration records; El Dorado County has 27, or 5% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 30% higher. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has El Dorado County received?
El Dorado County has received 16 major disaster declarations, representing 59% of all 27 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has El Dorado County filed?
El Dorado County has 207 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $4.0M in payments, with an average of $19.5K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in El Dorado County?
No. In El Dorado County, Wildfire has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $55.9M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
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 1965 to 2023.
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 as of the latest release is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Landslide (Relatively Moderate) and Riverine Flooding (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts wildfire here at roughly once every 83 years. 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.
Flood insurance data comes from the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA claims dataset.
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.
FEMA OpenFEMA declarations + NRI for El Dorado County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · California profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events