FEMA Records
30
High volume
California · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Solano County, CA
30 FEMA disaster declarations (1965-2023), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively High. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 30
- FEMA declarations
- 22
- Major disasters
- 97
- NRI risk · Relatively High
- Flood
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Solano County. Its 30 FEMA declarations are 5% above the California county mean and exceed the count for 86% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it in the riskiest 3%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Riskiest 3%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively High
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 30
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 594
- 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 Solano County compare?
Solano County vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
30 Top 14% higher than 86% 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
Solano 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 Solano County is led by Riverine Flooding (about $141.1M Expected Annual Loss, Historical Loss Ratio Relatively Moderate), while Drought 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 Solano County's hazard record show?
Reading the federal records together
FEMA's NFIP table contains a substantial paid-claim history for this county: 594 claims and $11.0M 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 $18.4K. NFIP totals exclude uninsured flood losses and do not measure how many properties currently carry a policy.
The declaration register points in the busier direction. Solano County's 30 federal records stand 5% above the California county mean of 28.5. 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 97.0/100 (Relatively High). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively High (roughly $292.1M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Low and community resilience Relatively High, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. 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 67 modeled event-days per year here, based on 2,226 historical events on record.
Declaration frequency
The FEMA register is busy by both local and national comparisons. It contains 30 entries for Solano County, including 22 Major Disaster records, 5% above the California county mean. Across the 58-year span, that works out to 0.5 declarations a year. Flood leads the file with 8 entries. Declaration type records the federal action taken, not every assistance program approved.
73 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Solano 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
22/30
30 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (1.4x national county average)
County Disaster Density High
13/25
30 declarations (1.1x state county average of 29)
Major Disaster Share High
18/25
22 of 30 declarations are major disasters (73%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
20/20
9 different disaster types declared in Solano County
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. California Avg
+5%
State avg: 28.5
vs. National Avg
+45%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.5
Over 58 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Solano 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
73%
Major-heavy
NRI risk score
97
Relatively High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Solano 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 | 67 modeled event-days per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | roughly once every 8 years |
| Landslide | Relatively High | an average of 8.5 times per year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | roughly once every 1 years |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 177 years |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | an average of 2.6 times per year |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 6.5 modeled event-days per year |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 10,000 years |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | an average of 5.2 times per year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | roughly once every 9 years |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 22 years |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | roughly once every 28 years |
| Tsunami | Very Low | roughly once every 3 years |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | roughly once every 10 years |
| Avalanche | Very Low | roughly once every 100 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 7
Fire 7
Biological 2
Earthquake 2
Hurricane 1
Freezing 1
Coastal Storm 1
Drought 1
What Flood declarations mean here
Flood is the most frequent declaration type on Solano County's record, 27% 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 - 22 73.3%
of all 30 declarations
Emergency - 4 13.3%
of all 30 declarations
Fire Management - 4 13.3%
of all 30 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 | |
| 2020 | 4 | |
| 2018 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 1 | |
| 1998 | 1 | |
| 1997 | 1 | |
| 1995 | 2 | |
| 1991 | 1 | |
| 1990 | 1 | |
| 1988 | 1 | |
Show 7 earlier declaration years
| 1986 | 1 | |
| 1983 | 1 | |
| 1982 | 1 | |
| 1977 | 1 | |
| 1973 | 1 | |
| 1969 | 1 | |
| 1965 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 30 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 30 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4699 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-04-03 |
| 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 |
| 4558 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 2020-08-22 |
| 5331 | LNU LIGHTNING FIRE COMPLEX | FM | Fire | 2020-08-18 |
| 4482 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-22 |
| 3428 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4344 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 2017-10-10 |
| 5214 | ATLAS FIRE | FM | Fire | 2017-10-09 |
| 4308 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Flood | 2017-04-01 |
| 4301 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2017-02-14 |
| 5091 | WRAGG FIRE | FM | Fire | 2015-07-23 |
| 4193 | EARTHQUAKE | DR | Earthquake | 2014-09-11 |
| 2776 | WILD FIRE | FM | Fire | 2008-06-22 |
| 1628 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, MUDSLIDES, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2006-02-03 |
| 3248 | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM | Hurricane | 2005-09-13 |
| 1203 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 1998-02-09 |
| 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 |
| 1044 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, MUD FLOWS | DR | Severe Storm | 1995-01-10 |
Show 10 earlier declaration records
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 894 | SEVERE FREEZE | DR | Freezing | 1991-02-11 |
| 845 | LOMA PRIETA EARTHQUAKE | DR | Earthquake | 1989-10-18 |
| 815 | WILDFIRES | DR | Fire | 1988-09-29 |
| 758 | SEVERE STORMS & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1986-02-21 |
| 677 | COASTAL STORMS, FLOODS, SLIDES & TORNADOES | DR | Coastal Storm | 1983-02-09 |
| 651 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOOD, MUDSLIDES & HIGH TIDE | DR | Flood | 1982-01-07 |
| 3023 | DROUGHT | EM | Drought | 1977-01-20 |
| 364 | SEVERE STORMS, HIGH TIDES & FLOODING | DR | Flood | 1973-02-08 |
| 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 Solano 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
594
Total Paid
$11.0M
Avg Per Claim
$18.4K
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) OpenFEMA Claims Data
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively High
Score: 97.0/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively High
$292.1M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Drought Relatively High
Earthquake Relatively High
Landslide Relatively High
Riverine Flooding Relatively High
Wildfire Relatively Moderate
Coastal Flooding Relatively High
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Low
Hail Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Tsunami Very Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Avalanche Very 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: 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 Solano 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
Solano County's closest FEMA peer: Wyoming County, WV
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Solano County. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Solano County shows 30 FEMA declarations, led by Flood.
Similar Major-disaster share
Solano County: 22 of 30 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Solano County: NRI composite 97.0 (Relatively High).
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 Solano County - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Understanding disaster data
Solano County's NFIP claims file (594 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 Solano County?
The most common disaster type in Solano County is Flood, with 8 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (7), Fire (7), Biological (2).
How does Solano County's FEMA declaration record compare with the California average?
FEMA lists 30 declaration records for Solano County. That is 5% above the California county mean of 28.5. Its count is also 45% 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 Solano County received?
Solano County has received 22 major disaster declarations, representing 73% of all 30 disaster declarations.
How many flood insurance claims has Solano County filed?
Solano County has 594 National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims totaling $11.0M in payments, with an average of $18.4K per claim.
Does FEMA's top risk-rated hazard match the highest Expected Annual Loss in Solano County?
No. In Solano County, Drought has the highest National Risk Index rating (Relatively High), while Riverine Flooding leads Expected Annual Loss at about $141.1M. FEMA's risk score and dollar-loss model use different inputs, so the leaders often differ.
What was the worst year for disasters in Solano County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Solano County was 2020, with 4 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1965 to 2023.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Solano County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Solano County, California has an overall risk score of 97.0 out of 100 (Relatively High). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively High, representing $292.1M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Solano County?
FEMA's NRI data points to Solano County as of the latest release is Drought (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Earthquake (Relatively High) and Landslide (Relatively High). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts drought here at 67 modeled event-days per year, drawn from 2,226 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.
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 Solano County
Solano County, CA has 30 federal declaration records, 5% more than the California county mean of 29; its history sits in PlainHazard's high activity band.
- Within this above-state-average declaration file, major disaster leads with 22 of 30 records; the category describes past federal action, not the next likely hazard. California overview
- The state benchmark and national rank point the same way: this count tops the California mean and the totals for 86% of 3,266 U.S. counties. 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
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.