FEMA Records
14
Total declarations
California · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
San Bernardino County, CA
14 FEMA disaster declarations (2015–2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very High. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 14
- FEMA declarations
- 3
- Major disasters
- 100
- NRI risk · Very High
- Fire
- Top hazard
The verdict
San Bernardino County ranks in the riskiest 1% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 98% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Very High, based on 14 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2015, most often fire, 264% above the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 1%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Very High
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 14
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 10
- fire declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does San Bernardino County compare?
San Bernardino County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
14 Top 2% higher than 98% of 2,791 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 · 2026-07-25
San Bernardino County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the California county average
How disaster-prone is San Bernardino County?
Declaration frequency
San Bernardino County, California has recorded 14 FEMA disaster declarations between 2015 and 2024, of which 3 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.6 declarations per year across a 9-year record, or roughly 80% above the California county average of 7.8 and 264% above the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 10 of 14 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county sits among the highest-risk counties nationally on FEMA's National Risk Index, a composite score of 99.8/100 (Very High). Expected Annual Loss is rated Very High (roughly $2075.1M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Low and community resilience Relatively Low, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Landslide stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Very High.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, these indicators place San Bernardino County at a high relative risk level, its federal disaster history outpaces most of the country, and it is worth pairing that record with forward-looking hazard maps before making insurance or relocation decisions.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
High
vs. California Avg
+80%
State avg: 7.8
vs. National Avg
+264%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
1.6
Over 9 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - San Bernardino County
How to read this radar
The radar plots San Bernardino County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
06071
CA state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Fire 10
Flood 2
Severe Storm 1
Biological 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Fire Management - 9 64.3%
of all 14 declarations
Major Disaster - 3 21.4%
of all 14 declarations
Emergency - 2 14.3%
of all 14 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 3 | |
| 2021 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 4 | |
| 2016 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5537 | BRIDGE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2024-09-11 |
| 5535 | LINE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2024-09-07 |
| 4699 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-04-03 |
| 3592 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | EM | Flood | 2023-03-10 |
| 3591 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | EM | Flood | 2023-01-09 |
| 5381 | BLUE RIDGE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-10-26 |
| 4569 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 2020-10-16 |
| 5350 | EL DORADO FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-09-06 |
| 5325 | APPLE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-08-02 |
| 4482 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-22 |
| 5301 | HILLSIDE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2019-10-31 |
| 5147 | BLUE CUT FIRE | FM | Fire | 2016-08-16 |
| 5144 | PILOT FIRE | FM | Fire | 2016-08-08 |
| 5089 | NORTH FIRE | FM | Fire | 2015-07-17 |
Storm Events in California
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind | 4,876 | 14 | 30 | $229.3M |
| Flood | 3,682 | 33 | 31 | $991.0M |
| Heavy Snow | 2,071 | 6 | 0 | $1.6M |
| Drought | 2,039 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Dense Fog | 1,820 | 59 | 164 | $3.5M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very High
Score: 99.8/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very High
$2075.1M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Very High
Wildfire Very High
Earthquake Very High
Heat Wave Relatively High
Strong Wind Relatively High
Lightning Relatively High
Hail Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Avalanche Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Hurricane No Rating
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in California
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has San Bernardino County, California had?
San Bernardino County, California has received 14 FEMA disaster declarations from 2015 to 2024. Of these, 3 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in San Bernardino County?
The most common disaster type in San Bernardino County is Fire, with 10 declarations. Other disaster types include Flood (2), Severe Storm (1), Biological (1).
How does San Bernardino County's disaster risk compare to the California average?
San Bernardino County has 14 disaster declarations, which is 80% higher than the California county average of 7.8 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 264% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has San Bernardino County received?
San Bernardino County has received 3 major disaster declarations, representing 21% of all 14 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in California?
The most common storm types in California include High Wind (4,876 events), Flood (3,682 events), Heavy Snow (2,071 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in San Bernardino County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in San Bernardino County was 2020, with 4 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2015 to 2024.
What is the overall disaster risk level for San Bernardino County?
San Bernardino County has recorded 14 FEMA disaster declarations, a volume FEMA data classifies as high-risk, well above what most U.S. counties see over the same period.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for San Bernardino County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, San Bernardino County, California has an overall risk score of 99.8 out of 100 (Very High). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Relatively Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very High, representing $2075.1M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to San Bernardino County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in San Bernardino County is Landslide (risk rating: Very High). Other significant hazards include Wildfire (Very High) and Earthquake (Very High). 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.
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 San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County, CA runs 80% above the California county average for federal disaster declarations (14 vs 8), a high historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is fire management (9 of 14) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. California overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. 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. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.