FEMA Records
16
Below median
California · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Inyo County, CA
16 FEMA disaster declarations (1967-2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 16
- FEMA declarations
- 11
- Major disasters
- 79
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Flood
- Top hazard
The verdict
Inyo County has a nationally busy FEMA history: 16 declarations, more than 27% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 44% below the California county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county in the riskiest 21%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Riskiest 21%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 16
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 4
- 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 06027 · Inyo County 16 declarations · rank 2337/3,266
DECL-MID · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-MID 16
- MAJOR-MID 69%
- RANK-LOWER #2,337
- PHOTO-FINISH Greene
- NRI-LOW 79
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Flood
- VS-ST-BELOW -44%
Nearest declaration peer: Greene, GA (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · California state profile
Inyo County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Inyo County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Frontier · near 16
Frontier · near
16 declarations
- Greene · near 16
Greene · near
16 declarations
- Inyo · this county 16
Inyo · this county
16 declarations
- Terrell · near 16
Terrell · near
16 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Inyo County carries 16 FEMA declaration records, ranked 2337 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Inyo County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Inyo County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Inyo County
16 27th percentile higher than 27% 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
Inyo County's FEMA Risk Index score
What does Inyo County's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 79.3/100 (Relatively Low). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Low (roughly $28.3M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Very High and community resilience Relatively Low, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Heat Wave stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at 10 modeled event-days per year here, based on 61 historical events on record.
Reading the federal records together
This county has a small entry in FEMA's NFIP paid-claims table: 4 claims and $11.7K 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 California county averages 28.5 federal declaration records, while Inyo County has 16. The gap is 44% 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.
51 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Inyo 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) Moderate
12/30
16 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.8x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
7/25
16 declarations (0.6x state county average of 29)
Major Disaster Share High
17/25
11 of 16 declarations are major disasters (69%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
15/20
6 different disaster types declared in Inyo County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Inyo 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
69%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
79
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Inyo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 10 modeled event-days per year |
| Avalanche | Very High | roughly once every 6 years |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 12 years |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 437 years |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | an average of 31 times per year |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 1,111 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | an average of 5 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | an average of 4.6 times per year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 16 times per year |
| Drought | Very Low | 153 modeled event-days per year |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 10 years |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | roughly once every 3,764,775 years |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | roughly once every 15 years |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 49 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Flood 7
Severe Storm 3
Hurricane 2
Biological 2
Fire 1
Drought 1
What Flood declarations mean here
Flood is the most frequent declaration type on Inyo County's record, 44% 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 - 11 68.8%
of all 16 declarations
Emergency - 4 25.0%
of all 16 declarations
Fire Management - 1 6.3%
of all 16 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 3 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 1995 | 1 | |
| 1978 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 1 | |
| 1969 | 1 | |
| 1967 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 16 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 16 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4750 | TROPICAL STORM HILARY | DR | Hurricane | 2023-11-21 |
| 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 |
| 4482 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-22 |
| 3428 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 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 |
| 1952 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND DEBRIS AND MUD FLOWS | DR | Flood | 2011-01-26 |
| 2706 | INYO FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2007-07-07 |
| 3248 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 1046 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING LANDSLIDES, MUD FLOW | DR | Severe Storm | 1995-03-12 |
| 547 | COASTAL STORMS, MUDSLIDES & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1978-02-15 |
| 3023 | DROUGHT | EM | Drought | 1977-01-20 |
| 253 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1969-01-26 |
| 223 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1967-01-02 |
Storm Events in California
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Inyo 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
4
Total Paid
$11.7K
Avg Per Claim
$2.9K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 79.3/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$28.3M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Relatively Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Heat Wave Relatively High
Avalanche Very High
Earthquake Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Landslide Relatively Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Drought Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Cold Wave Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Hail 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: Heat Wave
Heat Wave is measured in event-days per year rather than discrete events, and it is the hazard whose harm is most consistently undercounted: its toll is health and mortality, concentrated among people without cooling, rather than visible damage to property.
Worth noting for Inyo County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Heat Wave carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively High), 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
Inyo County's closest FEMA peer: Maury County, TN
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Inyo County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Similar modeled NRI score
Inyo County: NRI composite 79.3 (Relatively Low).
Similar Major-disaster share
Inyo County: 11 of 16 of its declarations are Major.
Closest declaration profiles
Inyo County shows 16 FEMA declarations, led by Flood.
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 Inyo County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Inyo 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: 79.3 (Relatively Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 16. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Most disaster-prone counties
With 16 FEMA declarations, Inyo 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 Inyo County?
The most common disaster type in Inyo County is Flood, with 7 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (3), Hurricane (2), Biological (2).
How does Inyo County's FEMA declaration record compare with the California average?
The typical California county has 28.5 FEMA declaration records; Inyo County has 16, or 44% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 23% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Inyo County received?
Inyo County has received 11 major disaster declarations, representing 69% of all 16 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Inyo County filed?
Inyo County has 4 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $11.7K in payments, with an average of $2.9K per claim.
What was the worst year for disasters in Inyo County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Inyo County was 2023, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1967 to 2024.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Inyo County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Inyo County, California has an overall risk score of 79.3 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very High and community resilience is Relatively Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $28.3M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Inyo County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Inyo County as of the latest release is Heat Wave (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Avalanche (Very High) and Earthquake (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts heat wave here at 10 modeled event-days per year, drawn from 61 historical events on record. 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 Inyo County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · California profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events