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Oregon · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index

Marion County, OR

3 FEMA disaster declarations (2020–2023), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively High. Most common hazard: Fire.

3
FEMA declarations
1
Major disasters
96
NRI risk · Relatively High
Fire
Top hazard

The verdict

Marion County ranks in the riskiest 4% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 41% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively High, based on 3 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2020, most often fire, 22% below the national county average of 4.

Riskiest 4%
of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
Relatively High
FEMA National Risk Index rating
3
FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
2
fire declarations, the most common hazard here

FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.

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How does Marion County compare?

Marion County vs. every U.S. county

FEMA disaster declarations, all-time

3 41st percentile higher than 41% of 2,791 counties

This county 0 30 all U.S. counties FEMA tracks, bucketed by value

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 · 2026-07-25

Marion County's FEMA Risk Index score

FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Oregon county average

0/100100/100Oregon avg63/10095.5/100
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Oregon county average

How disaster-prone is Marion County?

Declaration frequency

Marion County, Oregon has recorded 3 FEMA disaster declarations between 2020 and 2023, of which 1 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.0 declarations per year across a 3-year record, or roughly 18% below the Oregon county average of 3.7 and 22% below the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 2 of 3 declarations falling under this category.

FEMA National Risk Index

This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 95.5/100 (Relatively High). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $171.1M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Moderate and community resilience Relatively Moderate, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Earthquake stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High.

Flood exposure & the bottom line

Taken together, Marion County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.

Risk Assessment

Risk Level

Low

vs. Oregon Avg

-18%

State avg: 3.7

vs. National Avg

-22%

National avg: 3.8

Avg Per Year

1.0

Over 3 years

FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Marion County

Marion County NRI risk profile 8-axis FEMA National Risk Index radar showing per-hazard composite scores for Earthquake 70, Flood 0, Hurricane 0, Tornado 8, Wildfire 8, Drought 8, Heat Wave 48, Winter Storm 48. Overall composite 24 of 100, classified Low. Earthquake Flood Hurricane Tornado Wildfire Drought Heat Wave Winter Storm 24 composite
Marion County NRI risk profile FIPS 41047 · composite 24/100 (Low)
How to read this radar

The radar plots Marion 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. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.

FEMA Records

3

Total declarations

NRI Source

FEMA 2023

Latest NRI release

County FIPS

41047

OR state code

Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release

Disaster Types

Fire 2
Severe Storm 1

Declaration Types

What DR / EM / FM mean

FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).

Fire Management - 2 66.7%

of all 3 declarations

Major Disaster - 1 33.3%

of all 3 declarations

FEMA Declarations Timeline

Year Declarations
2023 1
2021 1
2020 1

Disaster Declarations

DR# Title Type Incident Date
5483 LIBERTY FIRE FM Fire 2023-08-24
4599 SEVERE WINTER STORM DR Severe Storm 2021-05-04
5356 BEACHIE CREEK LIONSHEAD FIRE COMPLEX FM Fire 2020-09-08

Storm Events in Oregon

Storm Type Events Fatalities Injuries Property Damage
High Wind 967 17 15 $3.2B
Heavy Snow 724 2 0 $139.3M
Frost/Freeze 452 0 0 $0
Wildfire 341 17 38 $15.6M
Flood 283 3 1 $69.5M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025

FEMA National Risk Index

Overall Risk

Relatively High

Score: 95.5/100

Expected Annual Loss

Relatively Moderate

$171.1M/year

Social Vulnerability

Relatively Moderate

Community Resilience

Relatively Moderate

Hazard Risk Breakdown

Earthquake Relatively High
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Volcanic Activity Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind Relatively High
Lightning Relatively High
Landslide Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Very Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Avalanche Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Drought Very Low

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 Oregon

Frequently Asked Questions

How many natural disasters has Marion County, Oregon had?
Marion County, Oregon has received 3 FEMA disaster declarations from 2020 to 2023. Of these, 1 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Marion County?
The most common disaster type in Marion County is Fire, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (1).
How does Marion County's disaster risk compare to the Oregon average?
Marion County has 3 disaster declarations, which is 18% lower than the Oregon county average of 3.7 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 22% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Marion County received?
Marion County has received 1 major disaster declaration, representing 33% of all 3 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Oregon?
The most common storm types in Oregon include High Wind (967 events), Heavy Snow (724 events), Frost/Freeze (452 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Marion County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Marion County was 2020, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2020 to 2023.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Marion County?
Marion County's 3 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Marion County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Marion County, Oregon has an overall risk score of 95.5 out of 100 (Relatively High). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Moderate and community resilience is Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $171.1M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Marion County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Marion County is Earthquake (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Heat Wave (Relatively Moderate) and Volcanic Activity (Relatively Moderate). 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 Marion County

Marion County, OR runs 18% below the Oregon county average for federal disaster declarations (3 vs 4), a low historical load overall.

  • Its most common federal declaration type is fire management (2 of 3) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Oregon 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.

All federal data sources used on this page
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 national statistics report, or report a data error.