FEMA Records
13
Low volume
Colorado · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Elbert County, CO
13 FEMA disaster declarations (1965-2023), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 13
- FEMA declarations
- 8
- Major disasters
- 37
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Flood
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Elbert County. Its 13 FEMA declarations are 27% above the Colorado county mean and exceed the count for 17% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it safer than 37%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Safer than 37%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 13
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 2
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
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.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 08039 · Elbert County 13 declarations · rank 2647/3,266
DECL-MID · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-ABOVE
- DECL-MID 13
- MAJOR-MID 62%
- RANK-LOWER #2,647
- PHOTO-FINISH Clarke
- NRI-LOW Very Low
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Flood
- VS-ST-ABOVE +27%
Nearest declaration peer: Clarke, GA (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Colorado state profile
Elbert County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Elbert County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Bristol (city) · near 13
Bristol (city) · near
13 declarations
- Clarke · near 13
Clarke · near
13 declarations
- Douglas · near 13
Douglas · near
13 declarations
- Elbert · this county 13
Elbert · this county
13 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Elbert County carries 13 FEMA declaration records, ranked 2647 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Elbert County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Elbert County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Elbert County
13 17th percentile higher than 17% 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
Elbert County's FEMA Risk Index score
What does Elbert County's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 36.6/100 for this county (Very Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Relatively Low (roughly $16.6M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Very Low) and community resilience (Relatively High) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Wildfire carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 592 years here.
Reading the federal records together
This county has a small entry in FEMA's NFIP paid-claims table: 2 claims and $0 paid in total. PlainHazard calls 1-49 claims a light registry record, a label for this dataset rather than a finding that flood exposure is low. A short claims history can also reflect insurance take-up, the period covered, or losses that were never insured.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Elbert County's 13 federal records stand 27% above the Colorado county mean of 10.2. That comparison describes how often federal action was recorded, including any Major Disaster, Emergency, and Fire Management entries shown on this page; it does not convert the count into future probability.
60 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Elbert County, CO · 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) Moderate
9/30
13 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.6x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
16/25
13 declarations (1.3x state county average of 10)
Major Disaster Share High
15/25
8 of 13 declarations are major disasters (62%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20
8 different disaster types declared in Elbert County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Elbert 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
62%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
37
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Elbert 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 Moderate | roughly once every 592 years |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | an average of 8 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | an average of 15 times per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | an average of 1.8 times per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | an average of 2.2 times per year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 53 times per year |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 10,000 years |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 43 modeled event-days per year |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 1,736 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | an average of 1.2 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 35 years |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 0.3 modeled event-days per year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Flood 4
Biological 2
Snowstorm 2
Coastal Storm 1
Fire 1
Severe Storm 1
Drought 1
Tornado 1
What Flood declarations mean here
Flood is the most frequent declaration type on Elbert County's record, 31% of its declarations. Federal flood declarations cover two mechanisms that behave very differently: riverine flooding, which builds over days as a watershed drains and is usually forecast well in advance, and flash flooding, which can arrive in under an hour from rainfall that fell somewhere upstream.
Flood is also the one hazard class where a second federal dataset exists for the same events. The National Flood Insurance Program records what was actually paid on insured losses, so it measures a narrower thing than the declaration count: uninsured damage, and flooding outside mapped special flood hazard areas, never enters it. Reading the two together is more informative than either alone.
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 - 8 61.5%
of all 13 declarations
Emergency - 5 38.5%
of all 13 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 1 | |
| 1999 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 1 | |
| 1973 | 1 | |
| 1965 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 13 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 13 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4731 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Flood | 2023-08-25 |
| 4498 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-28 |
| 3436 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4229 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2015-07-16 |
| 3270 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2007-01-07 |
| 3224 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Coastal Storm | 2005-09-05 |
| 3185 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 2003-04-09 |
| 1421 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 2002-06-19 |
| 1276 | CO-FLOODING 4/30/99 | DR | Severe Storm | 1999-05-17 |
| 1186 | SEVERE STORMS, HEAVY RAIN, FLASH FLOODS, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 1997-08-01 |
| 3025 | DROUGHT | EM | Drought | 1977-01-29 |
| 385 | HEAVY RAINS, SNOWMELT AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1973-05-23 |
| 200 | TORNADOES, SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Tornado | 1965-06-19 |
Storm Events in Colorado
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Elbert County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 4,913 | 0 | 100 | $2.9B |
| Winter Weather | 2,620 | 3 | 23 | $22.5K |
| High Wind | 1,992 | 5 | 6 | $20.9M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1,741 | 2 | 11 | $5.4M |
| Winter Storm | 1,497 | 0 | 0 | $848.0K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
2
Total Paid
$0
Avg Per Claim
$0
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 36.6/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$16.6M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Wildfire Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Drought Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Riverine Flooding Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
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 Elbert County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Wildfire carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Moderate), while the county's declaration history is led by Flood. 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
Elbert County's closest FEMA peer: Mercer County, PA
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Elbert County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Elbert County shows 13 FEMA declarations, led by Flood.
Similar Major-disaster share
Elbert County: 8 of 13 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Elbert County: NRI composite 36.6 (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 Elbert County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Elbert 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: 36.6 (Very Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 13. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Most disaster-prone counties
With 13 FEMA declarations, Elbert County sits in the high-volume declaration band - see how that count ranks against other U.S. counties.
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 Elbert County?
The most common disaster type in Elbert County is Flood, with 4 declarations. Other disaster types include Biological (2), Snowstorm (2), Coastal Storm (1).
How does Elbert County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Colorado average?
FEMA lists 13 declaration records for Elbert County. That is 27% above the Colorado county mean of 10.2. Its count is also 37% below the national county mean of 20.7. A larger declaration history records more federal actions; it is not a forecast of the county's next hazard.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Elbert County received?
Elbert County has received 8 major disaster declarations, representing 62% of all 13 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Elbert County filed?
Elbert County has 2 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $0 in payments, with an average of $0 per claim.
What was the worst year for disasters in Elbert County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Elbert County was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1965 to 2023.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Elbert County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Elbert County, Colorado has an overall risk score of 36.6 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $16.6M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Elbert County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Elbert County is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Hail (Relatively Moderate) and Winter Weather (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts wildfire here at roughly once every 592 years. 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.
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 Elbert County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Colorado profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events