FEMA Records
40
Very high volume
Washington · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Okanogan County, WA
40 FEMA disaster declarations (1972-2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 40
- FEMA declarations
- 14
- Major disasters
- 89
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Fire
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Okanogan County. Its 40 FEMA declarations are 61% above the Washington county mean and exceed the count for 97% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it in the riskiest 11%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Riskiest 11%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Moderate
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 40
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 89
- 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 53047 · Okanogan County 40 declarations · rank 113/3,266
DECL-HEAVY · MAJOR-LIGHT · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-MID · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-HIGH
- DECL-HEAVY 40
- MAJOR-LIGHT 35%
- RANK-UPPER #113
- PHOTO-FINISH Essex
- NRI-MID 89
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Fire
- VS-ST-HIGH +61%
Nearest declaration peer: Essex, MA (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Washington state profile
Okanogan County among high-volume declaration counties
FEMA declaration records among Okanogan County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Essex · near
Essex · near
40 declarations
- Okanogan · this county
Okanogan · this county
40 declarations
- Okfuskee · near
Okfuskee · near
40 declarations
- Tulsa · near
Tulsa · near
40 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Okanogan County carries 40 FEMA declaration records, ranked 113 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Where Okanogan County ranks in the national declaration registry
Okanogan County vs. high-volume counties in this registry
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Okanogan County
40 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Okanogan County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Okanogan County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $22.9M 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 Okanogan County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
The NFIP claims register shows a middle-volume loss record here: 89 paid claims, totaling $478.8K. PlainHazard uses 50-499 claims for this descriptive band; FEMA does not publish it as a safety or coverage category. The $5.4K average describes payments on recorded claims only, leaving uninsured damage and properties without a claim outside the measure.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Okanogan County's 40 federal records stand 61% above the Washington county mean of 24.9. That comparison describes how often federal action was recorded, including any Major Disaster, Emergency, and Fire Management entries shown on this page; it does not convert the count into future probability.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 89.2/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Low (roughly $50.8M 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 58 years here.
73 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Okanogan County, WA · 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) Very High
29/30
40 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.9x national county average)
County Disaster Density Very High
20/25
40 declarations (1.6x state county average of 25)
Major Disaster Share Moderate
9/25
14 of 40 declarations are major disasters (35%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
15/20
6 different disaster types declared in Okanogan County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Okanogan 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
35%
Mixed major share
NRI risk score
89
Relatively Moderate
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Okanogan 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 58 years |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | an average of 4.5 times per year |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | roughly once every 6 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | an average of 2 times per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 184 years |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 1 years |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 12 years |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 455 years |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 3.9 modeled event-days per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | an average of 22 times per year |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 16 times per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | roughly once every 10 years |
| Drought | Very Low | 7.2 modeled event-days per year |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 67 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 13 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Fire 27
Severe Storm 6
Flood 3
Biological 2
Coastal Storm 1
Volcanic Eruption 1
What Fire declarations mean here
Fire is the most frequent declaration type on Okanogan County's record, 68% of its declarations. Wildfire is the one hazard here with its own dedicated federal instrument: the Fire Management Assistance Grant, which appears in this data as an FM record. An FMAG can be authorised while a fire is still burning, on a timescale of hours, because its purpose is to reimburse the cost of fighting a fire that threatens to become a major disaster.
That distinction matters when comparing counties. An FM declaration is not a presidential major disaster declaration and does not carry the same assistance programmes, so a fire-heavy county's total is not directly comparable with a hurricane-heavy county's total unless the declaration types are separated, which is why they are listed separately on this page.
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).
Fire Management - 22 55.0%
of all 40 declarations
Major Disaster - 14 35.0%
of all 40 declarations
Emergency - 4 10.0%
of all 40 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 4 | |
| 2020 | 5 | |
| 2016 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 5 | |
| 2014 | 3 | |
| 2012 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 2 | |
Show 7 earlier declaration years
| 2002 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 3 | |
| 2000 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 1 | |
| 1989 | 1 | |
| 1980 | 1 | |
| 1972 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 40 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 40 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5646 | KAISER CANYON FIRE | FM | Fire | 2026-07-17 |
| 5518 | SWAWILLA FIRE | FM | Fire | 2024-07-24 |
| 4775 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2024-04-28 |
| 5472 | EAGLE BLUFF FIRE | FM | Fire | 2023-07-30 |
| 4682 | SEVERE WINTER STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-01-12 |
| 4650 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, SNOWSTORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2022-03-29 |
| 5410 | MUCKAMUCK FIRE | FM | Fire | 2021-08-16 |
| 5401 | CEDAR CREEK FIRE | FM | Fire | 2021-07-20 |
| 4593 | SEVERE WINTER STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2021-04-08 |
| 4584 | WILDFIRES AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Fire | 2021-02-04 |
| 5351 | COLD SPRINGS/PEARL HILL FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-09-07 |
| 5337 | PALMER FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-08-20 |
| 5323 | ANGLIN FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-07-28 |
| 4481 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-22 |
| 3427 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4243 | WILDFIRES AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Fire | 2015-10-20 |
| 3372 | WILDFIRES | EM | Fire | 2015-08-21 |
| 5106 | TWISP RIVER FIRE | FM | Fire | 2015-08-19 |
| 5104 | OKANAGAN COUNTY FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2015-08-15 |
| 5100 | CHELAN FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2015-08-14 |
Show 20 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5098 | NINE MILE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2015-08-14 |
| 4188 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 2014-08-11 |
| 3371 | WILDFIRES | EM | Fire | 2014-07-23 |
| 5062 | CARLTON COMPLEX FIRE | FM | Fire | 2014-07-17 |
| 4083 | SEVERE STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2012-09-25 |
| 2826 | ODEN ROAD FIRE | FM | Fire | 2009-08-22 |
| 2714 | TUNK GRADE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2007-07-16 |
| 3227 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Coastal Storm | 2005-09-07 |
| 1499 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2003-11-07 |
| 2498 | WA-NEEDLE FIRE-09-06-2003 | FM | Fire | 2003-09-06 |
| 2481 | WA-OKANOGAN CITY FIRE-07-16-2003 | FM | Fire | 2003-07-16 |
| 2451 | WA - PICKENS FIRE - 07/24/02 | FM | Fire | 2002-07-25 |
| 2376 | WA TONASKET FIRE COMPLEX 2376 | FM | Fire | 2001-08-16 |
| 2372 | WA - VIRGINIA LAKES COMPLEX - 2372 | FM | Fire | 2001-08-14 |
| 2373 | WA BREWSTER FIRE COMPLEX 2373 | FM | Fire | 2001-08-14 |
| 2313 | WA-WILDFIRE-07-24-2000 | FM | Fire | 2000-07-22 |
| 1159 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, LAND & MUDS SLIDES,FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1997-01-17 |
| 822 | HEAVY RAINS, FLOODING & MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 1989-04-14 |
| 623 | VOLCANIC ERUPTION, MT. ST. HELENS | DR | Volcanic Eruption | 1980-05-21 |
| 334 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1972-06-10 |
Storm Events in Washington
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Okanogan County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Snow | 1,700 | 5 | 7 | $2.3M |
| High Wind | 614 | 15 | 6 | $1.1B |
| Wildfire | 299 | 4 | 4 | $1.8B |
| Winter Weather | 259 | 9 | 62 | $1.1M |
| Flood | 231 | 4 | 0 | $391.2M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
89
Total Paid
$478.8K
Avg Per Claim
$5.4K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 89.2/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$50.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Wildfire Relatively High
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Avalanche Relatively High
Riverine Flooding Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Moderate
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Drought Very 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: 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.
For Okanogan County the two measures on this page point the same way: Wildfire is the county's highest-rated modeled hazard (Relatively High), and Fire declarations also lead its federal record. Where the model and the declaration history agree, the reading is comparatively straightforward, the hazard is both expected and repeatedly realised.
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
Okanogan County's closest FEMA peer: Vernon Parish, LA
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Okanogan County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Okanogan County shows 40 FEMA declarations, led by Fire.
Similar Major-disaster share
Okanogan County: 14 of 40 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Okanogan County: NRI composite 89.2 (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 Okanogan County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Okanogan 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: 89.2 (Relatively Moderate).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 40. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Okanogan County's NFIP claims file (89 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 Okanogan County?
The most common disaster type in Okanogan County is Fire, with 27 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (6), Flood (3), Biological (2).
How does Okanogan County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Washington average?
FEMA lists 40 declaration records for Okanogan County. That is 61% above the Washington county mean of 24.9. Its count is also 93% above the national county mean of 20.7. A larger declaration history records more federal actions; it is not a forecast of the county's next hazard.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Okanogan County received?
Okanogan County has received 14 major disaster declarations, representing 35% of all 40 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Okanogan County filed?
Okanogan County has 89 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $478.8K in payments, with an average of $5.4K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Okanogan County?
No. In Okanogan County, Wildfire has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $22.9M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Okanogan County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Okanogan County was 2015, with 5 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1972 to 2026.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Okanogan County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Okanogan County, Washington has an overall risk score of 89.2 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). On social vulnerability the county rates Very High; on community resilience, Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $50.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Okanogan County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Okanogan County as of the latest release is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Landslide (Relatively Moderate) and Avalanche (Relatively High). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts wildfire here at roughly once every 58 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 Okanogan County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Washington profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events