FEMA Records
4
Low volume
Wyoming · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Hot Springs County, WY
4 FEMA disaster declarations (1978-2025), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Biological.
- 4
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 16
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Biological
- Top hazard
The verdict
The declaration register is comparatively quiet for Hot Springs County. Its 4 federal records sit 30% below the Wyoming county mean and above the count for 1% of counties nationally. That historical total does not set the National Risk Index: FEMA's separate loss-and-vulnerability model ranks the county safer than 16%.
- Safer than 16%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 4
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 1
- 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 56017 · Hot Springs County 4 declarations · rank 3214/3,266
DECL-LIGHT · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-LOW · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-LIGHT 4
- MAJOR-MID 50%
- RANK-LOWER #3,214
- PHOTO-FINISH Canyon
- NRI-LOW Very Low
- ACT-LOW Low
- TYPE-LEAD Biological
- VS-ST-BELOW -30%
Nearest declaration peer: Canyon, ID (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Wyoming state profile
Hot Springs County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Hot Springs County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Canyon · near 4
Canyon · near
4 declarations
- Hot Springs · this county 4
Hot Springs · this county
4 declarations
- Sweetwater · near 4
Sweetwater · near
4 declarations
- Wayne · near 4
Wayne · near
4 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Hot Springs County carries 4 FEMA declaration records, ranked 3214 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Hot Springs County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Hot Springs County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Hot Springs County
4 1st percentile higher than 1% 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
Hot Springs County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Hot Springs County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $3.5M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Very High), while Landslide carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate). 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 Hot Springs County's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
This county's FEMA National Risk Index composite lands at 16.1/100 (Very Low), a modest reading against the rest of the country. Expected Annual Loss is rated Very Low (roughly $4.7M in annualized losses), tempered or compounded by a Relatively High social-vulnerability score and Very Low community-resilience score. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Landslide carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 3.1 times per year here.
Reading the federal records together
This county has a small entry in FEMA's NFIP paid-claims table: 1 claim 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.
Start with the state benchmark: a Wyoming county averages 5.7 federal declaration records, while Hot Springs County has 4. The gap is 30% 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.
33 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Hot Springs County, WY · 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) Low
3/30
4 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.2x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
9/25
4 declarations (0.7x state county average of 6)
Major Disaster Share High
13/25
2 of 4 declarations are major disasters (50%)
Hazard Diversity Moderate
8/20
3 different disaster types declared in Hot Springs County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Hot Springs 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
50%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
16
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Hot Springs 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | an average of 3.1 times per year |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | roughly once every 15 years |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1,243 years |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 330 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | roughly once every 5 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 34 times per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Drought | Very Low | 74 modeled event-days per year |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 10,000 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 8 years |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 0.1 modeled event-days per year |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 67 years |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | an average of 13 times per year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Biological 2
Fire 1
Flood 1
What Biological declarations mean here
Biological is the most frequent declaration type on Hot Springs County's record, 50% of its declarations. In practice this category is dominated by the COVID-19 declarations of 2020, which were issued across every US state and territory rather than in response to any local hazard event.
This has a direct consequence for how Hot Springs County's number should be read. Because those declarations reached essentially every county in the country, they raise every county's total by a similar amount and tell you nothing about local hazard exposure. A county whose record is led by Biological declarations is, in most cases, a county with a genuinely quiet weather-hazard history, the pandemic records are simply the largest thing in an otherwise short list.
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 - 2 50.0%
of all 4 declarations
Fire Management - 1 25.0%
of all 4 declarations
Emergency - 1 25.0%
of all 4 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 1978 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 4 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 4 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5608 | RED CANYON FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-08-15 |
| 4535 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-11 |
| 3479 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 557 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING & MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 1978-05-29 |
Storm Events in Wyoming
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Hot Springs County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind | 5,115 | 0 | 21 | $1.5M |
| Winter Storm | 2,212 | 1 | 41 | $115.0K |
| Hail | 1,811 | 0 | 0 | $5.5M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1,137 | 1 | 12 | $916.3K |
| Winter Weather | 616 | 3 | 7 | $100.0K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
1
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: 16.1/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$4.7M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Avalanche Relatively Low
Wildfire Relatively Low
Earthquake Relatively Low
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Hail Very Low
Drought Very Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Winter Weather 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: Landslide
Landslide risk is a function of slope, soil and water, so it is usually a SECOND-ORDER hazard: it is triggered by the rainfall, snowmelt, wildfire burn scars or seismic shaking that came first. That is why a county can carry high landslide exposure whose realized damage is recorded under a flood or storm declaration instead.
Worth noting for Hot Springs County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Landslide carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Moderate), while the county's declaration history is led by Biological. 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
Hot Springs County's closest FEMA peer: Minidoka County, ID
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Hot Springs County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Hot Springs County shows 4 FEMA declarations, led by Biological.
Similar Major-disaster share
Hot Springs County: 2 of 4 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Hot Springs County: NRI composite 16.1 (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 Hot Springs County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Hot Springs 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: 16.1 (Very Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 4. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
FEMA's National Risk Index flags Landslide as the top modeled exposure here (Relatively Moderate); the guide explains how that model differs from declaration counts.
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 Hot Springs County?
The most common disaster type in Hot Springs County is Biological, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Fire (1), Flood (1).
How does Hot Springs County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Wyoming average?
The typical Wyoming county has 5.7 FEMA declaration records; Hot Springs County has 4, or 30% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 81% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Hot Springs County received?
Hot Springs County has received 2 major disaster declarations, representing 50% of all 4 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Hot Springs County filed?
Hot Springs County has 1 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $0 in payments, with an average of $0 per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Hot Springs County?
No. In Hot Springs County, Landslide has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $3.5M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Hot Springs County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Hot Springs County was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1978 to 2025.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Hot Springs County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Hot Springs County, Wyoming has an overall risk score of 16.1 out of 100 (Very Low). Social vulnerability here rates Relatively High, while community resilience comes in at Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $4.7M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Hot Springs County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Hot Springs County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Avalanche (Relatively Low) and Wildfire (Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts landslide here at an average of 3.1 times per year. The underlying methodology weighs historical event frequency against 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 Hot Springs County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Wyoming profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events