FEMA Records
36
Very high volume
Oklahoma · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Pawnee County, OK
36 FEMA disaster declarations (1975-2025), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Severe Ice Storm.
- 36
- FEMA declarations
- 22
- Major disasters
- 48
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Severe Ice Storm
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Pawnee County. Its 36 FEMA declarations are 12% above the Oklahoma county mean and exceed the count for 94% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it safer than 48%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Safer than 48%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 36
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 6
- 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 40117 · Pawnee County 36 declarations · rank 182/3,266
DECL-HEAVY · MAJOR-MID · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · NRI-LOW · ACT-HIGH · TYPE-LEAD · VS-ST-ABOVE
- DECL-HEAVY 36
- MAJOR-MID 61%
- RANK-UPPER #182
- PHOTO-FINISH Hardee
- NRI-LOW 48
- ACT-HIGH High
- TYPE-LEAD Severe Ice S…
- VS-ST-ABOVE +12%
Nearest declaration peer: Hardee, FL (0 declaration gap)
FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 filing stamps for this county register. Read with this county → · Oklahoma state profile
Pawnee County among high-volume declaration counties
FEMA declaration records among Pawnee County and nearest peers by total count
- Los Angeles · largest
Los Angeles · largest
88 declarations
- Hardee · near
Hardee · near
36 declarations
- Pawnee · this county
Pawnee · this county
36 declarations
- Pearl River · near
Pearl River · near
36 declarations
- Suffolk · near
Suffolk · near
36 declarations
- Ujelang · smallest 1
Ujelang · smallest
1 declarations
What this shows Pawnee County carries 36 FEMA declaration records, ranked 182 of 3,266 counties in this registry.
Where Pawnee County ranks in the national declaration registry
Pawnee County vs. high-volume counties in this registry
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time · Pawnee County
36 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Pawnee County's FEMA Risk Index score
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Pawnee County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $3.0M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively High), while Ice Storm 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 Pawnee County's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 48.1/100 for this county (Relatively Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Very Low (roughly $11.2M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Relatively High) and community resilience (Relatively Low) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Ice Storm stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at an average of 1 time per year here, based on 70 historical events on record.
Reading the federal records together
This county has a small entry in FEMA's NFIP paid-claims table: 6 claims and $43.1K paid in total. PlainHazard calls 1-49 claims a light registry record, a label for this dataset rather than a finding that flood exposure is low. A short claims history can also reflect insurance take-up, the period covered, or losses that were never insured.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Pawnee County's 36 federal records stand 12% above the Oklahoma county mean of 32.2. 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.
73 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Pawnee County, OK · 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
26/30
36 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.7x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
14/25
36 declarations (1.1x state county average of 32)
Major Disaster Share High
15/25
22 of 36 declarations are major disasters (61%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
18/20
7 different disaster types declared in Pawnee County
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Pawnee 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
61%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
48
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Pawnee 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | an average of 1 time per year |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | roughly once every 101 years |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 51 modeled event-days per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | an average of 1.9 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 24 modeled event-days per year |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | roughly once every 5 years |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 2 years |
| Hail | Relatively Low | an average of 10 times per year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | an average of 6.8 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | an average of 9.3 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | an average of 1.3 times per year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 1,063 years |
| Hurricane | Very Low | roughly once every 126 years |
| Lightning | Very Low | an average of 53 times per year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Severe Ice Storm 10
Severe Storm 9
Fire 8
Flood 4
Biological 2
Tornado 2
Hurricane 1
What Severe Ice Storm declarations mean here
Severe Ice Storm is the most frequent declaration type on Pawnee County's record, 28% of its declarations. Ice storms damage differently from snowstorms: accumulating freezing rain loads power lines and tree limbs until they fail, so the dominant cost is usually infrastructure and extended power loss rather than structural damage to buildings. Outages measured in days, not hours, are the characteristic consequence, which is why these declarations frequently authorise emergency protective measures and debris removal.
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 - 22 61.1%
of all 36 declarations
Emergency - 8 22.2%
of all 36 declarations
Fire Management - 6 16.7%
of all 36 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 3 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 4 | |
| 2010 | 3 | |
| 2008 | 3 | |
| 2007 | 3 | |
| 2006 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 1 | |
Show 5 earlier declaration years
| 1993 | 1 | |
| 1991 | 1 | |
| 1987 | 1 | |
| 1984 | 1 | |
| 1975 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 36 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 36 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4866 | WILDFIRES AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR | Fire | 2025-05-21 |
| 5572 | 328 FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-03-19 |
| 5568 | BARN FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-03-15 |
| 5567 | KEYSTONE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-03-15 |
| 4721 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-07-19 |
| 4587 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2021-02-24 |
| 3555 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Severe Ice Storm | 2021-02-17 |
| 4575 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2020-12-21 |
| 4530 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-05 |
| 3462 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4438 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2019-06-01 |
| 3411 | FLOODING | EM | Flood | 2019-05-25 |
| 5119 | PAWNEE COVE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2016-02-18 |
| 2947 | CLEVELAND-MANNFORD FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2011-08-07 |
| 1985 | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2011-05-13 |
| 2887 | CLEVELAND FIRE | FM | Fire | 2011-04-10 |
| 3316 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Severe Storm | 2011-02-02 |
| 1883 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2010-03-05 |
| 1876 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-02-25 |
| 3308 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Severe Storm | 2010-01-30 |
Show 16 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1754 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2008-05-09 |
| 1735 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2007-12-18 |
| 3280 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | EM | Severe Ice Storm | 2007-12-10 |
| 1712 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-07-07 |
| 1707 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-06-07 |
| 3272 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND FLOODING | EM | Severe Ice Storm | 2007-01-14 |
| 1623 | EXTREME WILDFIRE THREAT | DR | Fire | 2006-01-10 |
| 3219 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-05 |
| 1452 | SEVERE ICE STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2003-02-04 |
| 1401 | SEVERE WINTER ICE STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2002-02-01 |
| 1355 | SEVERE WINTER ICE STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2001-01-05 |
| 991 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES & FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1993-05-12 |
| 905 | SEVERE STORMS & TORNADOES | DR | Tornado | 1991-05-08 |
| 778 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1986-10-14 |
| 704 | SEVERE STORMS & TORNADOES | DR | Tornado | 1984-05-03 |
| 453 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1974-11-26 |
Storm Events in Oklahoma
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Pawnee County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 5,894 | 0 | 1 | $19.8M |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 5,592 | 6 | 36 | $199.5M |
| Drought | 2,935 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Heat | 2,134 | 7 | 428 | $0 |
| Excessive Heat | 1,771 | 2 | 401 | $0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
6
Total Paid
$43.1K
Avg Per Claim
$7.2K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 48.1/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$11.2M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Relatively Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Ice Storm Relatively High
Wildfire Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Moderate
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Landslide Relatively Low
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Riverine Flooding Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Hurricane Very Low
Lightning 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: Ice Storm
Ice storms load power lines and tree limbs with accumulating freezing rain until they fail. The characteristic cost is infrastructure and multi-day power loss across a wide area rather than structural damage to buildings, which is why their consequences often outlast the weather that caused them.
For Pawnee County the two measures on this page point the same way: Ice Storm is the county's highest-rated modeled hazard (Relatively High), and Severe Ice Storm 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
Pawnee County's closest FEMA peer: Pearl River County, MS
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Pawnee County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Pawnee County shows 36 FEMA declarations, led by Severe Ice Storm.
Similar Major-disaster share
Pawnee County: 22 of 36 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Pawnee County: NRI composite 48.1 (Relatively Low).
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 Pawnee County - capture-dated entries only.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by NRI score & FEMA declaration volume
Two PlainHazard-derived comparison paths for Pawnee 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: 48.1 (Relatively Low).
Similar declaration volume
Nearest out-of-state counties by FEMA declaration count. This county: 36. NRI peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Further reading for this county
Most disaster-prone counties
With 36 FEMA declarations, Pawnee County sits in the high-volume declaration band - see how that count ranks against other U.S. counties.
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 Pawnee County?
The most common disaster type in Pawnee County is Severe Ice Storm, with 10 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (9), Fire (8), Flood (4).
How does Pawnee County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Oklahoma average?
FEMA lists 36 declaration records for Pawnee County. That is 12% above the Oklahoma county mean of 32.2. Its count is also 74% 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 Pawnee County received?
Pawnee County has received 22 major disaster declarations, representing 61% of all 36 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Pawnee County filed?
Pawnee County has 6 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $43.1K in payments, with an average of $7.2K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Pawnee County?
No. In Pawnee County, Ice Storm has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $3.0M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Pawnee County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Pawnee County was 2011, with 4 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1975 to 2025.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Pawnee County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Pawnee County, Oklahoma has an overall risk score of 48.1 out of 100 (Relatively Low). Social vulnerability here rates Relatively High, while community resilience comes in at Relatively Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $11.2M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Pawnee County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Pawnee County as of the latest release is Ice Storm (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Wildfire (Relatively Low) and Drought (Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts ice storm here at an average of 1 time per year, drawn from 70 historical events on record. 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.
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 Pawnee County · vintage 2026-08-25 · Methodology · Oklahoma profile · Verify with FEMA OpenFEMA · Verify with NOAA Storm Events