FEMA Records
3
Total declarations
Arizona · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Gila County, AZ
3 FEMA disaster declarations (2020–2021), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 3
- FEMA declarations
- 0
- Major disasters
- 90
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Fire
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Gila County in the top 10% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 42% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Gila County compare?
- Gila County
- 3
- Arizona county avg
- 3.7
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Gila County?
Gila County, Arizona has recorded 3 FEMA disaster declarations between 2020 and 2021, of which 0 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 3.0 declarations per year across a 1-year record, or roughly 18% below the Arizona county average of 3.7 and 20% below the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 3 of 3 declarations falling under this category. This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 90.2/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $55.2M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Very High and community resilience Very Low, 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, Gila County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. Arizona Avg
-18%
State avg: 3.7
vs. National Avg
-20%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
3.0
Over 1 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Gila County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Gila 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
04007
AZ state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Fire 3
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Fire Management - 3 100.0%
of all 3 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5389 | TELEGRAPH FIRE | FM | Fire | 2021-06-06 |
| 5340 | GRIFFIN FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-08-26 |
| 5313 | BUSH FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-06-20 |
Storm Events in Arizona
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | 2,354 | 52 | 18 | $181.4M |
| Excessive Heat | 1,860 | 1,540 | 120 | $0 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1,814 | 3 | 19 | $79.9M |
| Heat | 798 | 1,305 | 72 | $0 |
| Dust Storm | 520 | 10 | 36 | $1.8M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 90.2/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$55.2M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Wildfire Relatively High
Lightning Relatively High
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively High
Landslide Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Avalanche Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Hail Very Low
Drought Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Hurricane Very Low
Cold Wave 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 Arizona
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Gila County, Arizona had?
Gila County, Arizona has received 3 FEMA disaster declarations from 2020 to 2021.
What is the most common disaster type in Gila County?
The most common disaster type in Gila County is Fire, with 3 declarations.
How does Gila County's disaster risk compare to the Arizona average?
Gila County has 3 disaster declarations, which is 18% lower than the Arizona county average of 3.7 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 20% lower.
What types of storms are most common in Arizona?
The most common storm types in Arizona include Flash Flood (2,354 events), Excessive Heat (1,860 events), Thunderstorm Wind (1,814 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Gila County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Gila County was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2020 to 2021.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Gila County?
Gila County's 3 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Gila County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Gila County, Arizona has an overall risk score of 90.2 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very High and community resilience is Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $55.2M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Gila County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Gila County is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Lightning (Relatively High) and Heat 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 Gila County
Gila County, AZ has 3 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 18% below the Arizona county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is fire management (3 of 3) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Arizona 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.