FEMA Records
26
High volume
California · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Placer County, CA
26 FEMA disaster declarations (1965-2023), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Moderate. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 26
- FEMA declarations
- 13
- Major disasters
- 93
- NRI risk · Relatively Moderate
- Fire
- Top hazard
The verdict
Placer County has a nationally busy FEMA history: 26 declarations, more than 75% of counties in this registry. But the state comparison tempers that reading: the total is 9% below the California county mean. FEMA's separate National Risk Index places the county in the riskiest 7%; that score models loss and vulnerability rather than counting declarations.
- Riskiest 7%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Moderate
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 26
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 628
- 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.
How does Placer County compare?
Placer County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
26 Top 25% higher than 75% 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 · 2026-08-03
Placer County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the California county average
Which hazard drives modeled loss here?
FEMA's modeled annual dollar loss for Placer County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $107.3M 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 Placer County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
FEMA's NFIP table contains a substantial paid-claim history for this county: 628 claims and $16.1M 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 $25.6K. NFIP totals exclude uninsured flood losses and do not measure how many properties currently carry a policy.
Start with the state benchmark: a California county averages 28.5 federal declaration records, while Placer County has 26. The gap is 9% 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 93.1/100 (Relatively Moderate). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively Moderate (roughly $162.6M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Very Low and community resilience Very High, 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 164 years here.
Declaration frequency
Nationally, Placer County's 26 FEMA records form a high-volume history; within California, however, the count is 9% below the county mean. 13 entries carry the Major Disaster classification. The largest incident group is Fire, appearing 9 times. The full 58-year record averages 0.4 declarations annually. A DR label alone does not say whether Individual Assistance, Public Assistance, or both followed.
61 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Placer County, CA · 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
19/30
26 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.3x national county average)
County Disaster Density Moderate
11/25
26 declarations (0.9x state county average of 29)
Major Disaster Share High
13/25
13 of 26 declarations are major disasters (50%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
18/20
7 different disaster types declared in Placer County
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. California Avg
-9%
State avg: 28.5
vs. National Avg
+25%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.4
Over 58 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Placer 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
50%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
93
Relatively Moderate
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Placer 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 164 years |
| Avalanche | Very High | roughly once every 2 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | an average of 1.1 times per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 38 years |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 62 modeled event-days per year |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | an average of 2.3 times per year |
| Lightning | Relatively High | an average of 14 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 4.3 modeled event-days per year |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 10,000 years |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | an average of 27 times per year |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 6 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 7 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | roughly once every 14 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Fire 9
Flood 6
Severe Storm 6
Biological 2
Hurricane 1
Coastal Storm 1
Drought 1
What Fire declarations mean here
Fire is the most frequent declaration type on Placer County's record, 35% 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).
Major Disaster - 13 50.0%
of all 26 declarations
Fire Management - 7 26.9%
of all 26 declarations
Emergency - 6 23.1%
of all 26 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 3 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 2 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 1 | |
| 2002 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 1 | |
| 1995 | 2 | |
| 1986 | 1 | |
Show 4 earlier declaration years
| 1983 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 1 | |
| 1969 | 1 | |
| 1965 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 26 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 26 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3592 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | EM | Flood | 2023-03-10 |
| 4683 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2023-01-14 |
| 3591 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | EM | Flood | 2023-01-09 |
| 5453 | MOSQUITO FIRE | FM | Fire | 2022-09-09 |
| 3571 | CALDOR FIRE | EM | Fire | 2021-09-01 |
| 4610 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 2021-08-24 |
| 5405 | RIVER FIRE | FM | Fire | 2021-08-05 |
| 4482 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-22 |
| 3428 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4301 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2017-02-14 |
| 5082 | APPLEGATE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2014-10-08 |
| 2832 | 49 FIRE | FM | Fire | 2009-08-31 |
| 2786 | GLADDING FIRE | FM | Fire | 2008-09-02 |
| 1646 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2006-06-05 |
| 1628 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2006-02-03 |
| 3248 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 2541 | CA-STEVENS FIRE-08--8-2004 | FM | Fire | 2004-08-08 |
| 2463 | SIERRA FIRE | FM | Fire | 2002-09-19 |
| 1155 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUD AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 1997-01-04 |
| 1046 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING LANDSLIDES, MUD FLOW | DR | Severe Storm | 1995-03-12 |
Show 6 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1044 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, MUD FLOWS | DR | Severe Storm | 1995-01-10 |
| 758 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1986-02-21 |
| 677 | COASTAL STORMS, FLOODS, SLIDES & TORNADOES | DR | Coastal Storm | 1983-02-09 |
| 3023 | DROUGHT | EM | Drought | 1977-01-20 |
| 253 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1969-01-26 |
| 183 | HEAVY RAINS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1964-12-24 |
Storm Events in California
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Placer County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind | 4,070 | 13 | 27 | $228.2M |
| Flood | 3,132 | 26 | 25 | $985.1M |
| Heavy Snow | 1,814 | 6 | 0 | $1.6M |
| Dense Fog | 1,605 | 52 | 148 | $2.8M |
| Drought | 1,421 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
NFIP Flood Insurance Claims
Total Claims
628
Total Paid
$16.1M
Avg Per Claim
$25.6K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Moderate
Score: 93.1/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Moderate
$162.6M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Very High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Wildfire Relatively High
Avalanche Very High
Riverine Flooding Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively Moderate
Drought Relatively Moderate
Landslide Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively High
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Hail Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Cold Wave 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.
For Placer 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
Placer County's closest FEMA peer: Dorchester County, SC
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Placer County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Placer County shows 26 FEMA declarations, led by Fire.
Similar Major-disaster share
Placer County: 13 of 26 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Placer County: NRI composite 93.1 (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 Placer County - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Placer County's NFIP claims file (628 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).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Placer County?
The most common disaster type in Placer County is Fire, with 9 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (6), Severe Storm (6), Biological (2).
How does Placer County's FEMA declaration record compare with the California average?
The typical California county has 28.5 FEMA declaration records; Placer County has 26, or 9% fewer. Against the national county mean of 20.7, this county's total is 25% higher. The comparison is historical and says nothing about the probability of a future event.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Placer County received?
Placer County has received 13 major disaster declarations, representing 50% of all 26 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Placer County filed?
Placer County has 628 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $16.1M in payments, with an average of $25.6K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Placer County?
No. In Placer County, Wildfire has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $107.3M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Placer County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Placer County was 2021, with 3 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1965 to 2023.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Placer County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Placer County, California has an overall risk score of 93.1 out of 100 (Relatively Moderate). On social vulnerability the county rates Very Low; on community resilience, Very High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Moderate, representing $162.6M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Placer County?
FEMA's NRI data points to Placer County is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Avalanche (Very High) and Riverine Flooding (Relatively High). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts wildfire here at roughly once every 164 years. The underlying methodology weighs historical event frequency against 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.
What this means for Placer County
Against a California county mean of 29 declarations, Placer County, CA records 26, or 9% fewer. PlainHazard classifies that historical total as high activity.
- Major Disaster is the largest group (13 of 26) in a declaration history that remains below its state benchmark; frequency here is not a forecast. California overview
- Nationally the county exceeds 75% of recorded county totals, but its own California benchmark is higher. The ranking keeps those two contexts separate. Most-disaster rankings
- The large NFIP claims file and FEMA declaration history measure different federal records; the guide explains where they overlap and where they do not. Disaster-data guide
A below-average federal record is not a safety guarantee. Use National Weather Service alerts and local emergency-management notices for present conditions, not this historical comparison.
PlainHazard derives this profile from FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries and National Risk Index data. The declaration comparison covers 3,266 U.S. counties and county equivalents in this database, refreshed as of 2026-08-03. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015-2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, the data & editorial changelog, or report a data error.