FEMA Records
25
Total declarations
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
The data below is historical (NOAA Storm Events / FEMA), not a live alert. For current warnings and evacuation orders, check the National Weather Service, Ready.gov, or FEMA.gov.
California · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Los Angeles County, CA
25 FEMA disaster declarations (2013–2025), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very High. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 25
- FEMA declarations
- 6
- Major disasters
- 100
- NRI risk · Very High
- Fire
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Los Angeles County in the top 1% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 99% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Los Angeles County compare?
FEMA disaster declarations, this county versus the California county average and the national county average.
- Los Angeles County
- 25
- California county avg
- 6.9
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Los Angeles County?
Los Angeles County, California has recorded 25 FEMA disaster declarations between 2013 and 2025, of which 6 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 2.1 declarations per year across a 12-year record, or roughly 263% above the California county average of 6.9 and 568% above the national county average of 3.7. Declaration counts reflect federal recognition of event severity, not pure hazard frequency, smaller incidents handled locally never appear in FEMA's ledger.
The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 19 of 25 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's National Risk Index assigns this county an overall risk rating of Very High (composite score 100.0/100), driven by an Expected Annual Loss rating of Very High equivalent to roughly $7601.8M in annualized losses. Social vulnerability scores Relatively Moderate and community resilience scores Very Low - two factors that modify raw hazard exposure into actual harm. The single highest-risk natural hazard identified for this county is Earthquake (Very High).
NFIP flood insurance claims data for this county is not present in the FEMA claims extract, which typically indicates either low historical flood activity or low policy penetration. Taken together, these indicators place Los Angeles County at a high relative risk level for federally recognized disasters. Households should pair this historical lens with forward-looking hazard maps, flood zones, wildfire risk overlays, and seismic zones published by FEMA and state emergency management, before making preparedness, insurance, or relocation decisions.
Risk Assessment
How Los Angeles County's disaster history compares to state and national averages.
Risk Level
High
vs. California Avg
+263%
State avg: 6.9
vs. National Avg
+568%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
2.1
Over 12 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Los Angeles County
The radar plots Los Angeles 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.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
06037
CA state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Breakdown of 25 FEMA disaster declarations in Los Angeles County by incident type.
Fire 19
Flood 3
Severe Storm 2
Biological 1
Declaration Types
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Fire Management - 17 68.0%
of all 25 declarations
Major Disaster - 6 24.0%
of all 25 declarations
Emergency - 2 8.0%
of all 25 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
Disaster declarations per year for Los Angeles County.
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | |
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 4 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 5 | |
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 2 | |
| 2014 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
All 25 FEMA disaster declarations for Los Angeles County, California.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5605 | CANYON FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-08-08 |
| 5551 | HURST FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-01-08 |
| 5550 | EATON FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-01-08 |
| 4856 | WILDFIRES AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Fire | 2025-01-08 |
| 5549 | PALISADES FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-01-07 |
| 5548 | FRANKLIN FIRE | FM | Fire | 2024-12-10 |
| 5537 | BRIDGE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2024-09-11 |
| 4769 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-04-13 |
| 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 |
| 3591 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | EM | Flood | 2023-01-09 |
| 4569 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 2020-10-16 |
| 5374 | BOBCAT FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-09-13 |
| 4482 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-22 |
| 5297 | GETTY FIRE | FM | Fire | 2019-10-28 |
| 5296 | TICK FIRE | FM | Fire | 2019-10-24 |
| 5293 | SADDLERIDGE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2019-10-11 |
| 5280 | WOOLSEY FIRE | FM | Fire | 2018-11-09 |
| 5227 | SKIRBALL FIRE | FM | Fire | 2017-12-06 |
| 5226 | RYE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2017-12-05 |
| 5132 | SAGE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2016-07-09 |
| 5129 | FISH FIRE | FM | Fire | 2016-06-21 |
| 5051 | COLBY FIRE | FM | Fire | 2014-01-16 |
| 5025 | POWERHOUSE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2013-06-02 |
Storm Events in California
NOAA severe weather data for California (2015–2025). Storm event data is tracked at the state level.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind | 4,403 | 14 | 29 | $228.9M |
| Flood | 3,518 | 32 | 31 | $990.7M |
| Heavy Snow | 1,916 | 6 | 0 | $1.6M |
| Dense Fog | 1,665 | 55 | 150 | $2.8M |
| Strong Wind | 1,482 | 40 | 43 | $15.7M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's composite risk score combining 18 natural hazard types, social vulnerability, and community resilience for Los Angeles County.
Overall Risk
Very High
Score: 100.0/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very High
$7601.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Risk rating for each of the 18 FEMA NRI natural hazard types in Los Angeles County.
Earthquake Very High
Wildfire Very High
Heat Wave Relatively High
Landslide Relatively High
Tornado Relatively High
Lightning Very High
Hail Relatively Moderate
Avalanche Relatively High
Coastal Flooding Relatively High
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Tsunami Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Cold Wave Very Low
Hurricane No Rating
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 California
Other California counties with similar disaster declaration counts.
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Los Angeles County, California had?
Los Angeles County, California has received 25 FEMA disaster declarations from 2013 to 2025. Of these, 6 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Los Angeles County?
The most common disaster type in Los Angeles County is Fire, with 19 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (3), Severe Storm (2), Biological (1).
How does Los Angeles County's disaster risk compare to the California average?
Los Angeles County has 25 disaster declarations, which is 263% higher than the California county average of 6.9 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 568% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Los Angeles County received?
Los Angeles County has received 6 major disaster declarations, representing 24% of all 25 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in California?
The most common storm types in California include High Wind (4,403 events), Flood (3,518 events), Heavy Snow (1,916 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Los Angeles County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Los Angeles County was 2025, with 6 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2013 to 2025.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Los Angeles County?
Based on FEMA declaration history, Los Angeles County has a high disaster risk level with 25 total declarations. This county has significantly more disaster declarations than average.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Los Angeles County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Los Angeles County, California has an overall risk score of 100.0 out of 100 (Very High). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Moderate and community resilience is Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very High, representing $7601.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Los Angeles County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Los Angeles County is Earthquake (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Wildfire (Very High) and Heat Wave (Relatively High). 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 Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, CA has 25 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a high historical disaster load, 263% above the California county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is fire management (17 of 25) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. California 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.