FEMA Records
21
Above median
New York · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Monroe County, NY
21 FEMA disaster declarations (1972-2020), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 21
- FEMA declarations
- 13
- Major disasters
- 94
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Flood
- Top hazard
The verdict
Monroe County has a nationally busy FEMA history: 21 declarations, more than 52% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 14% below the New York county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county in the riskiest 6%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Riskiest 6%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Moderate
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 21
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 827
- 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 36055 · Monroe County 21 declarations · rank 1497/3,266
DECL-HEAVY · MAJOR-MID · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-MID · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-BELOW
- DECL-HEAVY 21
- MAJOR-MID 62%
- RANK-LOWER #1,497
- PHOTO-FINISH Montgomery
- NRI-MID 94
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Flood
- VS-ST-BELOW -14%
Nearest declaration peer: Montgomery, IN (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · New York state profile
Monroe County in the declaration-count neighbourhood
FEMA declaration records among Monroe County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Atascosa · near 21
Atascosa · near
21 declarations
- Mason · near 21
Mason · near
21 declarations
- Monroe · this county 21
Monroe · this county
21 declarations
- Montgomery · near 21
Montgomery · near
21 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Monroe County carries 21 FEMA declaration records, ranked 1497 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
How Monroe County's FEMA declaration count compares nationally
Monroe County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Monroe County
21 Top 48% higher than 52% 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
Monroe County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Monroe County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $102.6M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Moderate), while Cold Wave 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 Monroe County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
FEMA's NFIP table contains a substantial paid-claim history for this county: 827 claims and $4.9M in payments. PlainHazard labels 500 or more claims a heavy registry record; that is a reporting bucket, not an official FEMA risk grade. The average paid claim was $5.9K. NFIP totals exclude uninsured flood losses and do not measure how many properties currently carry a policy.
Start with the state benchmark: a New York county averages 24.5 federal declaration records, while Monroe County has 21. The gap is 14% 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 93.8/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $141.0M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Moderate and community resilience Very High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Cold Wave stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 2.9 times per year here, based on 56 historical events on record.
61 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Monroe County, NY · 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) High
15/30
21 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.0x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
11/25
21 declarations (0.9x state county average of 25)
Major Disaster Share High
15/25
13 of 21 declarations are major disasters (62%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20
8 different disaster types declared in Monroe County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Monroe 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
62%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
94
Relatively Moderate
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Monroe 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | an average of 2.9 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | an average of 2.2 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | an average of 21 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 3.4 modeled event-days per year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | an average of 1.5 times per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 9 years |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 1,200 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | an average of 1.3 times per year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 27 times per year |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | roughly once every 35 years |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 0.8 modeled event-days per year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 36,191 years |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 73 years |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 9 years |
| Hail | Very Low | an average of 1.1 times per year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Flood 4
Severe Storm 4
Snowstorm 4
Biological 2
Hurricane 2
Other 2
Severe Ice Storm 2
Fire 1
What Flood declarations mean here
Flood is the most frequent declaration type on Monroe County's record, 19% of its declarations. Federal flood declarations cover two mechanisms that behave very differently: riverine flooding, which builds over days as a watershed drains and is usually forecast well in advance, and flash flooding, which can arrive in under an hour from rainfall that fell somewhere upstream.
Flood is also the one hazard class where a second federal dataset exists for the same events. The National Flood Insurance Program records what was actually paid on insured losses, so it measures a narrower thing than the declaration count: uninsured damage, and flooding outside mapped special flood hazard areas, never enters it. Reading the two together is more informative than either alone.
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 - 13 61.9%
of all 21 declarations
Emergency - 8 38.1%
of all 21 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 2 | |
| 2004 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 2 | |
| 2001 | 2 | |
| 1999 | 1 | |
| 1998 | 3 | |
| 1993 | 1 | |
| 1991 | 1 | |
| 1976 | 1 | |
| 1975 | 1 | |
| 1973 | 1 | |
| 1972 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 21 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 21 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4480 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-20 |
| 3434 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4348 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2017-11-14 |
| 3351 | HURRICANE SANDY | EM | Hurricane | 2012-10-28 |
| 3262 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-30 |
| 1564 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-10-01 |
| 1534 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2004-08-03 |
| 3186 | POWER OUTAGE | EM | Other | 2003-08-23 |
| 1467 | ICE STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2003-05-12 |
| 1391 | FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS | DR | Fire | 2001-09-11 |
| 3155 | WEST NILE VIRUS | EM | Other | 2000-10-11 |
| 3138 | SNOW | EM | Snowstorm | 1999-03-10 |
| 1244 | NY - SEVERE WX, SEPT 7, 1998 | DR | Severe Storm | 1998-09-11 |
| 1233 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1998-07-07 |
| 1196 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Snowstorm | 1998-01-06 |
| 3107 | SEVERE BLIZZARD | EM | Snowstorm | 1993-03-17 |
| 898 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Snowstorm | 1991-03-21 |
| 494 | ICE STORM,SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 1976-03-19 |
| 3004 | FLOODNG (NYS BARGE CANAL) | EM | Flood | 1974-11-02 |
| 367 | HIGH WINDS, WAVE ACTION & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1973-03-21 |
Show 1 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 338 | TROPICAL STORM AGNES | DR | Flood | 1972-06-23 |
Storm Events in New York
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Monroe County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 8,295 | 6 | 45 | $45.0M |
| Winter Weather | 2,261 | 7 | 17 | $705.5K |
| Flash Flood | 1,775 | 23 | 3 | $674.3M |
| Strong Wind | 1,399 | 2 | 12 | $9.2M |
| Winter Storm | 1,228 | 13 | 2 | $4.9M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
827
Total Paid
$4.9M
Avg Per Claim
$5.9K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 93.8/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$141.0M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Cold Wave Relatively High
Riverine Flooding Relatively High
Winter Weather Relatively High
Heat Wave Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively High
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Hurricane Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Coastal Flooding Very Low
Landslide Very Low
Hail 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: Cold Wave
Cold Wave measures exposure to extreme cold rather than to snow. Its harm is concentrated in health effects, burst infrastructure and energy demand spikes, and it falls hardest where the building stock and the grid were not built with sustained cold in mind.
Worth noting for Monroe County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Cold Wave carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively High), while the county's declaration history is led by Flood. 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
Monroe County's closest FEMA peer: Sequatchie County, TN
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Monroe County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Monroe County shows 21 FEMA declarations, led by Flood.
Similar Major-disaster share
Monroe County: 13 of 21 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Monroe County: NRI composite 93.8 (Relatively Moderate).
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 Monroe County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Monroe 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: 93.8 (Relatively Moderate).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 21. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Monroe County's NFIP claims file (827 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 Monroe County?
The most common disaster type in Monroe County is Flood, with 4 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (4), Snowstorm (4), Biological (2).
How does Monroe County's FEMA declaration record compare with the New York average?
The typical New York county has 24.5 FEMA declaration records; Monroe County has 21, or 14% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 1% higher. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Monroe County received?
Monroe County has received 13 major disaster declarations, representing 62% of all 21 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Monroe County filed?
Monroe County has 827 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $4.9M in payments, with an average of $5.9K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Monroe County?
No. In Monroe County, Cold Wave has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $102.6M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Monroe County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Monroe County was 1998, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1972 to 2020.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Monroe County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Monroe County, New York has an overall risk score of 93.8 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Moderate and community resilience is Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $141.0M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Monroe County?
FEMA's NRI data points to Monroe County is Cold Wave (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Riverine Flooding (Relatively High) and Winter Weather (Relatively High). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts cold wave here at an average of 2.9 times per year, drawn from 56 historical events on record. 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 Monroe County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · New York profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events