FEMA Records
5
Low volume
Idaho · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Madison County, ID
5 FEMA disaster declarations (1976-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Biological.
- 5
- FEMA declarations
- 3
- Major disasters
- 59
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Biological
- Top hazard
The verdict
Start with the local benchmark for Madison County: 5 FEMA declaration records are 40% below the Idaho county mean, even though the count is higher than 2% of counties in the national registry. On FEMA's distinct National Risk Index model, which combines expected loss with vulnerability and resilience, the county ranks in the riskiest 41%.
- Riskiest 41%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 5
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 9
- NFIP flood insurance claims filed
FEMA's National Risk Index and its declaration registry are separate measures. This county's registry includes Major Disaster (DR) and Emergency (EM) records; an EM authorizes a narrower set of federal assistance than a DR.
FEMA OpenFEMA declaration desk
County FIPS 16065 · Madison County 5 declarations · rank 3192/3,266
DECL-LIGHT · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-MODERATE · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-LIGHT 5
- MAJOR-MID 60%
- RANK-LOWER #3,192
- PHOTO-FINISH Goshen
- NRI-LOW 59
- ACT-MODERATE Moderate
- TYPE-LEAD Biological
- VS-ST-BELOW -40%
Nearest declaration peer: Goshen, WY (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Idaho state profile
Madison County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Madison County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Carbon · near 5
Carbon · near
5 declarations
- Goshen · near 5
Goshen · near
5 declarations
- Madison · this county 5
Madison · this county
5 declarations
- Niobrara · near 5
Niobrara · near
5 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Madison County carries 5 FEMA declaration records, ranked 3192 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Madison County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Madison County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Madison County
5 2nd percentile higher than 2% 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
Madison County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Madison County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $9.3M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Moderate), while Lightning carries the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High). 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 Madison County's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 58.6/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $22.5M in annualized losses), and a Relatively Low social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively Moderate community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Lightning stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 36 times per year here, based on 38,193 historical events on record.
Reading the federal records together
This county has a small entry in FEMA's NFIP paid-claims table: 9 claims and $19.9K 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 Idaho county averages 8.3 federal declaration records, while Madison County has 5. The gap is 40% 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.
37 /100
Historical Activity Index
Moderate historical activity
Madison 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) Low
4/30
5 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.2x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
8/25
5 declarations (0.6x state county average of 8)
Major Disaster Share High
15/25
3 of 5 declarations are major disasters (60%)
Hazard Diversity High
10/20
4 different disaster types declared in Madison County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Madison 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
60%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
59
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Madison 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | an average of 36 times per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 79 years |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | an average of 2.1 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 1.2 modeled event-days per year |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | roughly once every 30 years |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 357 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | an average of 21 times per year |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 1,667 years |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | roughly once every 4 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Hail | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Drought | Very Low | 40 modeled event-days per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1 years |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 67 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 25 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Biological 2
Hurricane 1
Severe Storm 1
Flood 1
What Biological declarations mean here
Biological is the most frequent declaration type on Madison County's record, 40% 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 Madison 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 - 3 60.0%
of all 5 declarations
Emergency - 2 40.0%
of all 5 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 1 | |
| 1976 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 5 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 5 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4534 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-09 |
| 3467 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 3244 | HURRICANE KATRINA | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 1177 | SEVERE STORMS, SNOWMELT, LAND/MUD SLIDES, FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1997-06-13 |
| 505 | DAM COLLAPSE, FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1976-06-06 |
Storm Events in Idaho
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Madison 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
9
Total Paid
$19.9K
Avg Per Claim
$2.2K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 58.6/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$22.5M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Lightning Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Avalanche Relatively Low
Wildfire Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Landslide Relatively Low
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Drought Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Tornado 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: Lightning
Lightning is modeled as a high-frequency, low-per-event hazard: strike counts are large, but each strike affects a very small area. Its aggregate cost accumulates through structure fires, electrical and electronic damage, and it is one of the few hazards whose risk is essentially continuous through the season rather than episodic.
Worth noting for Madison County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Lightning carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively High), 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
Madison County's closest FEMA peer: Converse County, WY
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Madison County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Madison County shows 5 FEMA declarations, led by Biological.
Similar Major-disaster share
Madison County: 3 of 5 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Madison County: NRI composite 58.6 (Relatively 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 Madison County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Madison 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: 58.6 (Relatively Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 5. 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 Lightning as the top modeled exposure here (Relatively High); 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 Madison County?
The most common disaster type in Madison County is Biological, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Hurricane (1), Severe Storm (1), Flood (1).
How does Madison County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Idaho average?
The typical Idaho county has 8.3 FEMA declaration records; Madison County has 5, or 40% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 76% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Madison County received?
Madison County has received 3 major disaster declarations, representing 60% of all 5 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Madison County filed?
Madison County has 9 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $19.9K in payments, with an average of $2.2K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Madison County?
No. In Madison County, Lightning has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $9.3M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Madison County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Madison County was 2020, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1976 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Madison County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Madison County, Idaho has an overall risk score of 58.6 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 $22.5M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Madison County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Madison County is Lightning (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Earthquake (Relatively Low) and Cold Wave (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts lightning here at an average of 36 times per year, drawn from 38,193 historical events on record. 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 Madison County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Idaho profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events