FEMA Records
15
Below median
Arizona · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Mohave County, AZ
15 FEMA disaster declarations (1977-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively High. Most common hazard: Severe Storm.
- 15
- FEMA declarations
- 9
- Major disasters
- 95
- NRI risk · Relatively High
- Severe Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Mohave County has a nationally busy FEMA history: 15 declarations, more than 23% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 10% below the Arizona county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county in the riskiest 5%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Riskiest 5%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively High
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 15
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 162
- 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 04015 · Mohave County 15 declarations · rank 2397/3,266
DECL-MID · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-HIGH · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-MID 15
- MAJOR-MID 60%
- RANK-LOWER #2,397
- PHOTO-FINISH Polk
- NRI-HIGH 95
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Severe Storm
- VS-ST-BELOW -10%
Nearest declaration peer: Polk, OR (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Arizona state profile
Mohave County among counties with fewer federal records
FEMA declaration records among Mohave County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Flathead · near 15
Flathead · near
15 declarations
- Mohave · this county 15
Mohave · this county
15 declarations
- Murray · near 15
Murray · near
15 declarations
- Polk · near 15
Polk · near
15 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Mohave County carries 15 FEMA declaration records, ranked 2397 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Mohave County versus quieter counties in this dataset
Mohave County among lower-declaration counties nationally
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Mohave County
15 23rd percentile higher than 23% 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
Mohave County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Mohave County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $73.6M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively High), while Wildfire 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 Mohave County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 162 paid claims, totaling $1.9M. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $11.5K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
Start with the state benchmark: a Arizona county averages 16.7 federal declaration records, while Mohave County has 15. The gap is 10% 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.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 94.8/100 (Relatively High). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $104.9M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Very High and community resilience Very Low, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Wildfire stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 175 years here.
52 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Mohave County, AZ · 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
11/30
15 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.7x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
11/25
15 declarations (0.9x state county average of 17)
Major Disaster Share High
15/25
9 of 15 declarations are major disasters (60%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
15/20
6 different disaster types declared in Mohave County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Mohave 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
95
Relatively High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Mohave 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | roughly once every 175 years |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 10 modeled event-days per year |
| Lightning | Very High | an average of 37 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | an average of 10 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | an average of 5.4 times per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 86 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 4 years |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 67 years |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | roughly once every 100 years |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | an average of 7 times per year |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 3,333 years |
| Hail | Relatively Low | roughly once every 9 years |
| Drought | Very Low | 90 modeled event-days per year |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 4 years |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | roughly once every 280,982 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Severe Storm 4
Flood 4
Fire 3
Biological 2
Hurricane 1
Drought 1
What Severe Storm declarations mean here
Severe Storm is the most frequent declaration type on Mohave County's record, 27% 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 - 9 60.0%
of all 15 declarations
Emergency - 3 20.0%
of all 15 declarations
Fire Management - 3 20.0%
of all 15 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 4 | |
| 1985 | 1 | |
| 1984 | 1 | |
| 1983 | 1 | |
| 1980 | 1 | |
| 1978 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 15 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 15 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4524 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-04 |
| 3442 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 5095 | WILLOW FIRE | FM | Fire | 2015-08-09 |
| 5033 | DEAN PEAK FIRE | FM | Fire | 2013-07-02 |
| 1888 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-03-18 |
| 3241 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-12 |
| 2560 | AZ-HULET FIRE-06-11-2005 | FM | Fire | 2005-06-12 |
| 1586 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2005-04-14 |
| 1581 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2005-02-17 |
| 730 | HEAVY RAIN & HIGH WINDS | DR | Severe Storm | 1985-01-15 |
| 691 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1983-10-05 |
| 686 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1983-07-01 |
| 614 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1980-02-19 |
| 551 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1978-03-04 |
| 3038 | DROUGHT | EM | Drought | 1977-04-15 |
Storm Events in Arizona
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Mohave County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | 2,094 | 45 | 18 | $149.9M |
| Excessive Heat | 1,812 | 1,497 | 120 | $0 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1,680 | 3 | 19 | $75.9M |
| Heat | 727 | 1,206 | 39 | $0 |
| High Wind | 446 | 0 | 0 | $734.0K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
162
Total Paid
$1.9M
Avg Per Claim
$11.5K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively High
Score: 94.8/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$104.9M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Wildfire Relatively High
Heat Wave Relatively High
Lightning Very High
Riverine Flooding Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Avalanche Relatively Low
Landslide Relatively Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Hail Relatively Low
Drought Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Cold Wave Very Low
Hurricane No Rating
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: Wildfire
Wildfire risk in the model reflects fuel, terrain, weather and how much development sits in the wildland-urban interface. It is one of the few hazards where the exposure is materially changed by land management and building choices, not only by where the county happens to be.
Worth noting for Mohave County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Wildfire carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively High), 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
Mohave County's closest FEMA peer: Marion County, FL
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Mohave County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Similar modeled NRI score
Mohave County: NRI composite 94.8 (Relatively High).
Similar Major-disaster share
Mohave County: 9 of 15 of its declarations are Major.
Closest declaration profiles
Mohave County shows 15 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 Mohave County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Mohave 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: 94.8 (Relatively High).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 15. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Mohave County's NFIP claims file (162 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 Mohave County?
The most common disaster type in Mohave County is Severe Storm, with 4 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (4), Fire (3), Biological (2).
How does Mohave County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Arizona average?
The typical Arizona county has 16.7 FEMA declaration records; Mohave County has 15, or 10% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 28% lower. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Mohave County received?
Mohave County has received 9 major disaster declarations, representing 60% of all 15 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Mohave County filed?
Mohave County has 162 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $1.9M in payments, with an average of $11.5K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Mohave County?
No. In Mohave County, Wildfire has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $73.6M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Mohave County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Mohave County was 2005, with 4 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1977 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Mohave County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Mohave County, Arizona has an overall risk score of 94.8 out of 100 (Relatively High). On social vulnerability the county rates Very High; on community resilience, Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $104.9M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Mohave County?
FEMA's NRI data points to Mohave County is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Heat Wave (Relatively High) and Lightning (Very High). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts wildfire here at roughly once every 175 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 Mohave County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Arizona profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events