FEMA Records
20
Above median
Iowa · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Ringgold County, IA
20 FEMA disaster declarations (1969-2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 20
- FEMA declarations
- 18
- Major disasters
- 14
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Flood
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Ringgold County. Its 20 FEMA declarations are 4% above the Iowa county mean and exceed the count for 46% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it safer than 14%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Safer than 14%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 20
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 8
- flood declarations, the most common hazard here
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.
How does Ringgold County compare?
Ringgold County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
20 46th percentile higher than 46% 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
Ringgold County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Iowa county average
What does Ringgold County's hazard record show?
Declaration frequency
The FEMA register is busy by both local and national comparisons. It contains 20 entries for Ringgold County, including 18 Major Disaster records, 4% above the Iowa county mean. Across the 55-year span, that works out to 0.4 declarations a year. Flood leads the file with 8 entries. Declaration type records the federal action taken, not every assistance program approved.
FEMA National Risk Index
FEMA's National Risk Index places this county in the low end of the national distribution, composite score 14.2/100 (Very Low). Expected Annual Loss is rated Very Low (roughly $8.1M in annualized losses). Two modifiers shape how that exposure becomes real-world harm here: social vulnerability (Very Low) and community resilience (Relatively Moderate). Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Drought stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at 8.6 modeled event-days per year here, based on 252 historical events on record.
Reading the federal records together
No paid-claim row for this county appears in the NFIP county table used by PlainHazard. That absence is not evidence that flooding never occurred: the register observes claims under federal flood-insurance policies, not uninsured losses, emergency reports, or every flood outside the program. The FEMA declaration history below is therefore the available federal-action record on this page.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Ringgold County's 20 federal records stand 4% above the Iowa county mean of 19.3. 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.
65 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Ringgold County, IA · 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
14/30
20 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.0x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
13/25
20 declarations (1.0x state county average of 19)
Major Disaster Share Very High
23/25
18 of 20 declarations are major disasters (90%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
15/20
6 different disaster types declared in Ringgold County
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. Iowa Avg
+4%
State avg: 19.3
vs. National Avg
-3%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.4
Over 55 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Ringgold 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
90%
Mostly major
NRI risk score
14
Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Ringgold 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively High | 8.6 modeled event-days per year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 7.7 modeled event-days per year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | an average of 5.6 times per year |
| Landslide | Very Low | roughly once every 4 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | an average of 4.4 times per year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | an average of 4.5 times per year |
| Wildfire | Very Low | roughly once every 832 years |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 2 years |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | an average of 11 times per year |
| Earthquake | Very Low | roughly once every 1,555 years |
| Hurricane | Very Low | roughly once every 174 years |
| Lightning | Very Low | an average of 45 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 1 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Flood 8
Severe Storm 6
Biological 2
Severe Ice Storm 2
Tornado 1
Hurricane 1
What Flood declarations mean here
Flood is the most frequent declaration type on Ringgold County's record, 40% 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 - 18 90.0%
of all 20 declarations
Emergency - 2 10.0%
of all 20 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2019 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 2 | |
| 2007 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 1 | |
| 1998 | 1 | |
| 1996 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 2 | |
| 1992 | 1 | |
| 1974 | 1 | |
Show 2 earlier declaration years
| 1973 | 1 | |
| 1969 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 20 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 20 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4779 | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR | Tornado | 2024-05-14 |
| 4483 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-23 |
| 3480 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4421 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2019-03-23 |
| 4181 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2014-07-14 |
| 4119 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2013-05-31 |
| 1930 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2010-07-29 |
| 1763 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2008-05-27 |
| 1737 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 2008-01-04 |
| 1705 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR | Severe Storm | 2007-05-25 |
| 3239 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-10 |
| 1367 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2001-05-02 |
| 1230 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES AND FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1998-07-02 |
| 1121 | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1996-06-24 |
| 996 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1993-07-09 |
| 965 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1992-10-02 |
| 928 | ICE STORM | DR | Severe Ice Storm | 1991-12-26 |
| 443 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1974-06-24 |
| 386 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1973-05-23 |
| 269 | HEAVY RAINS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1969-08-14 |
Storm Events in Iowa
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Ringgold County.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 4,928 | 6 | 227 | $40.5M |
| Hail | 3,736 | 0 | 0 | $4.3M |
| Heavy Rain | 2,394 | 0 | 0 | $292.0K |
| Drought | 1,556 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Winter Storm | 1,543 | 3 | 4 | $2.8M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 14.2/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$8.1M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very Low
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Drought Relatively High
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Hail Relatively Low
Landslide Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Earthquake Very Low
Hurricane Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Riverine Flooding 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: Drought
Drought is the slowest of the modeled hazards and the least visible: it does its damage to agriculture, water supply and soil over seasons rather than hours, so it rarely produces the kind of single-day damage that drives a disaster declaration. FEMA scores it in event-days per year rather than discrete events for exactly that reason.
Worth noting for Ringgold County: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Drought 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
Ringgold County's closest FEMA peer: Boone County, NE
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Ringgold County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Ringgold County shows 20 FEMA declarations, led by Flood.
Similar Major-disaster share
Ringgold County: 18 of 20 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Ringgold County: NRI composite 14.2 (Very 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 Ringgold County - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Most disaster-prone counties
With 20 FEMA declarations, Ringgold 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).
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common disaster type in Ringgold County?
The most common disaster type in Ringgold County is Flood, with 8 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (6), Biological (2), Severe Ice Storm (2).
How does Ringgold County's FEMA declaration record compare with the Iowa average?
FEMA lists 20 declaration records for Ringgold County. That is 4% above the Iowa county mean of 19.3. Its count is also 3% below 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 Ringgold County received?
Ringgold County has received 18 major disaster declarations, representing 90% of all 20 disaster declarations.
What was the worst year for disasters in Ringgold County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Ringgold County was 1993, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1969 to 2024.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Ringgold County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Ringgold County, Iowa has an overall risk score of 14.2 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very Low and community resilience is Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $8.1M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Ringgold County?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Ringgold County is Drought (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Heat Wave (Relatively Low) and Hail (Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts drought here at 8.6 modeled event-days per year, drawn from 252 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.
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 Ringgold County
Ringgold County, IA has 20 federal declaration records, 4% more than the Iowa county mean of 19; its history sits in PlainHazard's high activity band.
- Within this above-state-average declaration file, major disaster leads with 18 of 20 records; the category describes past federal action, not the next likely hazard. Iowa overview
- The state benchmark and national rank point the same way: this count tops the Iowa mean and the totals for 46% of 3,266 U.S. counties. Most-disaster rankings
- With no NFIP county row, the declaration register and modeled NRI remain distinct evidence rather than substitutes for a claims history. Disaster-data guide
An above-average declaration count records past federal responses; it does not predict the next event. Current warnings come from the National Weather Service and local emergency officials.
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.