Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska

What hazards hit Matanuska-Susitna Borough most?

The most frequent records are winter storm records: 165 since 2001. 47% of its winter storm records since 2001 fell in November and December. The rank column places the county among Alaska's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.

When was the last damaging storm in Matanuska-Susitna Borough?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 4, 2024 winter weather (1 death and 1 injury).

The Palmer ASOS Station (PAAQ) reported freezing rain between 6:00 AM to 11:30 AM AKST on December 5th. An NWS employee of the Alaska Region Headquarters reported that Big Lake was receiving a bout of freezing rain at 7:30 AM AKST December 5th. A fatal traffic accident was reported off the Parks Highway with State Troopers noting that weather was a major factor in the incident. The two vehicles involved in the incident were a Chevrolet Silverado pickup with two persons and a Toyota Sequia with one person. The male driver of the Chevrolet survived with serious injuries while the female passenger was declared deceased at the scene. Investigations revealed that the Chevrolet lost control on icy roads and collided with the Toyota Sequia in the early morning of December 5th. Freezing rain was falling and roads were still accruing ice at the start of the investigation. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1229834)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.

The deadliest and costliest records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.

Is it getting more frequent?

Records per decade for Matanuska-Susitna Borough's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

47% of its winter storm records since 2001 fell in November and December. The two busiest months are in violet.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Matanuska-Susitna Borough

FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Matanuska-Susitna Borough: 15 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 3 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (5) and flood (5).

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.

How many floods has Matanuska-Susitna Borough had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 7 flood or flash flood records for Matanuska-Susitna Borough from 2001 to 2005, on 7 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Matanuska-Susitna Borough ranks 1384th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.2 million on 87 claims filed in Matanuska-Susitna Borough; the most in one year was 31 in 2012. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.

FEMA's modeled risk for Matanuska-Susitna Borough

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Matanuska-Susitna Borough Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $161 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Matanuska-Susitna Borough

1. Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area 722
2. Anchorage Municipality 569
3. Kenai Peninsula Borough 498
4. Bethel Census Area 434
5. Denali Borough 357
6. Southeast Fairbanks Census Area 280
7. Matanuska-Susitna Borough 250

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

Next

• Winter storms in AlaskaThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
• The Alaska recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
• FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Matanuska-Susitna BoroughThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
• Download Matanuska-Susitna Borough's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis