FEMA Records
18
Below median
Idaho · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Kootenai County, ID
18 FEMA disaster declarations (1965-2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 18
- FEMA declarations
- 15
- Major disasters
- 79
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Kootenai County. Its 18 FEMA declarations are 116% above the Idaho county mean and exceed the count for 37% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it in the riskiest 21%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Riskiest 21%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 18
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 91
- 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 16055 · Kootenai County 18 declarations · rank 1984/3,266
DECL-MID · MAJOR-HEAVY · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-HIGH
- DECL-MID 18
- MAJOR-HEAVY 83%
- RANK-LOWER #1,984
- PHOTO-FINISH Monroe
- NRI-LOW 79
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Severe Storm
- VS-ST-HIGH +116%
Nearest declaration peer: Monroe, TN (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Idaho state profile
Kootenai County in the declaration-count neighbourhood
FEMA declaration records among Kootenai County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Brooke · near 18
Brooke · near
18 declarations
- Kootenai · this county 18
Kootenai · this county
18 declarations
- Mecklenburg · near 18
Mecklenburg · near
18 declarations
- Monroe · near 18
Monroe · near
18 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Kootenai County carries 18 FEMA declaration records, ranked 1984 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
How Kootenai County's FEMA declaration count compares nationally
Kootenai County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Kootenai County
18 37th percentile higher than 37% 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
Kootenai County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Kootenai County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $31.8M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively 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 Kootenai County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 91 paid claims, totaling $746.4K. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $8.2K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Kootenai County's 18 federal records stand 116% above the Idaho county mean of 8.3. 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.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 79.0/100 (Relatively Low). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Low (roughly $45.4M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Low and community resilience Relatively Moderate, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. 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 roughly once every 2 years here.
77 /100
Historical Activity Index
Very High historical activity
Kootenai County, ID · 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
13/30
18 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.9x national county average)
County Disaster Density Very High
25/25
18 declarations (2.2x state county average of 8)
Major Disaster Share Very High
21/25
15 of 18 declarations are major disasters (83%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
18/20
7 different disaster types declared in Kootenai County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Kootenai 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
83%
Mostly major
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 Kootenai 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 | roughly once every 2 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | an average of 27 times per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | an average of 1.2 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | an average of 1.2 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | roughly once every 4 years |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 3.3 modeled event-days per year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1,845 years |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 438 years |
| Avalanche | Very Low | roughly once every 8 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | roughly once every 4 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | an average of 18 times per year |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 23 years |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 4 years |
| Drought | Very Low | 15 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
Severe Storm 7
Flood 4
Biological 2
Fire 2
Straight-Line Winds 1
Hurricane 1
Volcanic Eruption 1
What Severe Storm declarations mean here
Severe Storm is the most frequent declaration type on Kootenai County's record, 39% 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 - 15 83.3%
of all 18 declarations
Emergency - 2 11.1%
of all 18 declarations
Fire Management - 1 5.6%
of all 18 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 2 | |
| 1996 | 1 | |
| 1980 | 1 | |
| 1974 | 1 | |
| 1967 | 1 | |
| 1965 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 18 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 18 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4917 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2026-06-30 |
| 4905 | STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Straight-Line Winds | 2026-04-07 |
| 4589 | STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 2021-03-04 |
| 4534 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-09 |
| 3467 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4313 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2017-05-18 |
| 4252 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Storm | 2016-02-01 |
| 4246 | SEVERE STORM AND STRAIGHT-LINE WIND | DR | Severe Storm | 2015-12-23 |
| 5088 | CAPE HORN FIRE | FM | Fire | 2015-07-06 |
| 1781 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2008-07-31 |
| 3244 | HURRICANE KATRINA | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 1177 | SEVERE STORMS, SNOWMELT, LAND/MUD SLIDES, FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1997-06-13 |
| 1154 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUD AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 1997-01-04 |
| 1102 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1996-02-11 |
| 624 | VOLCANIC ERUPTION, MT. ST. HELENS | DR | Volcanic Eruption | 1980-05-22 |
| 415 | SEVERE STORMS, SNOWMELT & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1974-01-25 |
| 231 | FOREST FIRES | DR | Fire | 1967-08-30 |
| 186 | HEAVY RAINS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1964-12-31 |
Storm Events in Idaho
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Kootenai County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 1,495 | 1 | 13 | $100.9M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1,087 | 9 | 26 | $3.6M |
| Winter Storm | 492 | 4 | 15 | $1.0M |
| High Wind | 396 | 4 | 6 | $10.6M |
| Winter Weather | 297 | 10 | 15 | $1.7M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
91
Total Paid
$746.4K
Avg Per Claim
$8.2K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 79.0/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$45.4M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively High
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Riverine Flooding Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively High
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Relatively Low
Earthquake Relatively Low
Avalanche Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Low
Tornado Very Low
Hail Very Low
Drought 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 Kootenai 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 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
Kootenai County's closest FEMA peer: Bowie County, TX
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Kootenai County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Similar modeled NRI score
Kootenai County: NRI composite 79.0 (Relatively Low).
Similar Major-disaster share
Kootenai County: 15 of 18 of its declarations are Major.
Closest declaration profiles
Kootenai County shows 18 FEMA declarations, led by Severe Storm.
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 Kootenai County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Kootenai 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: 79.0 (Relatively Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 18. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Kootenai County's NFIP claims file (91 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 Kootenai County?
The most common disaster type in Kootenai County is Severe Storm, with 7 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (4), Biological (2), Fire (2).
How does Kootenai County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Idaho average?
FEMA lists 18 declaration records for Kootenai County. That is 116% above the Idaho county mean of 8.3. Its count is also 13% 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 Kootenai County received?
Kootenai County has received 15 major disaster declarations, representing 83% of all 18 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Kootenai County filed?
Kootenai County has 91 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $746.4K in payments, with an average of $8.2K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Kootenai County?
No. In Kootenai County, Landslide has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively Moderate), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $31.8M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Kootenai County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Kootenai County was 1997, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1965 to 2026.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Kootenai County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Kootenai County, Idaho has an overall risk score of 79.0 out of 100 (Relatively Low). On social vulnerability the county rates Relatively Low; on community resilience, Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $45.4M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Kootenai County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Kootenai County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Winter Weather (Relatively High) and Cold Wave (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts landslide here at roughly once every 2 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 Kootenai County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Idaho profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events