FEMA Records
12
Low volume
Alaska · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK
12 FEMA disaster declarations (1989-2023), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Flood.
- 12
- FEMA declarations
- 10
- Major disasters
- 57
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Flood
- Top hazard
The verdict
Two federal records point in the busier direction for Southeast Fairbanks Census Area. Its 12 FEMA declarations are 66% above the Alaska county mean and exceed the count for 14% of the 3,266 counties in this registry. Separately, FEMA's National Risk Index places it in the riskiest 43%, based on modeled expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience.
- Riskiest 43%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 12
- FEMA declarations vs 21 national county avg
- 4
- flood declarations, the most common hazard here
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 Southeast Fairbanks Census Area compare?
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area vs. all counties in this dataset
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
12 14th percentile higher than 14% 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
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Alaska county average
What does Southeast Fairbanks Census Area's hazard record show?
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 57.0/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Very Low (roughly $12.1M in annualized losses), and a Very High social-vulnerability profile combined with Very Low community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Wildfire carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate. FEMA's modeled frequency puts that hazard at roughly once every 117 years here.
Declaration frequency
The FEMA register is busy by both local and national comparisons. It contains 12 entries for Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, including 10 Major Disaster records, 66% above the Alaska county mean. Across the 34-year span, that works out to 0.4 declarations a year. Flood leads the file with 4 entries. Declaration type records the federal action taken, not every assistance program approved.
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. Southeast Fairbanks Census Area's 12 federal records stand 66% above the Alaska county mean of 7.2. 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.
66 /100
Historical Activity Index
High historical activity
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK · 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
9/30
12 OpenFEMA declarations, full ingest window (0.6x national county average)
County Disaster Density Very High
21/25
12 declarations (1.7x state county average of 7)
Major Disaster Share Very High
21/25
10 of 12 declarations are major disasters (83%)
Hazard Diversity Very High
15/20
6 different disaster types declared in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
Historical Declaration Activity
Activity Band
High
vs. Alaska Avg
+66%
State avg: 7.2
vs. National Avg
-42%
National avg: 20.7
Avg Per Year
0.4
Over 34 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
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
83%
Mostly major
NRI risk score
57
Relatively Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, December 2025 release
How often does each hazard strike Southeast Fairbanks Census Area?
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. These modeled frequencies are not forecasts.
| Hazard | NRI Risk Rating | Recurrence |
|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | roughly once every 117 years |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | roughly once every 15 years |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | an average of 28 times per year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | roughly once every 21 years |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | an average of 4.9 times per year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | an average of 16 times per year |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | roughly once every 2,000 years |
| Lightning | Very Low | an average of 43 times per year |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | roughly once every 67 years |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | roughly once every 100 years |
| Hail | Very Low | roughly once every 975 years |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | roughly once every 6,567 years |
| Tornado | Very Low | roughly once every 5,527 years |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index Modeled annualized frequency; drought and heat wave use event-days/year, December 2025 release
Disaster Types
Flood 4
Severe Storm 3
Biological 2
Fire 1
Earthquake 1
Freezing 1
What Flood declarations mean here
Flood is the most frequent declaration type on Southeast Fairbanks Census Area's record, 33% 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 - 10 83.3%
of all 12 declarations
Emergency - 1 8.3%
of all 12 declarations
Fire Management - 1 8.3%
of all 12 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 2 | |
| 2013 | 2 | |
| 2009 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 1 | |
| 2000 | 1 | |
| 1989 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
How the 12 FEMA declarations break into federal action codes (DR / EM / FM). Same DISTINCT grain as the table below.
Download these 12 declarations as CSV . FEMA source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4730 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2023-08-23 |
| 4667 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2022-08-26 |
| 4533 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-04-09 |
| 3446 | COVID-19 | EM | Biological | 2020-03-13 |
| 4122 | FLOODING | DR | Flood | 2013-06-25 |
| 4094 | SEVERE STORM, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2012-11-27 |
| 1843 | FLOODING AND ICE JAMS | DR | Flood | 2009-06-11 |
| 1669 | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR | Severe Storm | 2006-12-08 |
| 2542 | AK-BOLGEN CREEK FIRE-08-10-2004 | FM | Fire | 2004-08-10 |
| 1440 | EARTHQUAKE | DR | Earthquake | 2002-11-08 |
| 1316 | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND AVALANCHES | DR | Severe Storm | 2000-02-17 |
| 826 | SEVERE FREEZING | DR | Freezing | 1989-05-10 |
Storm Events in Alaska
Statewide NOAA context only. PlainHazard does not currently attribute these state totals to Southeast Fairbanks Census Area.
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind | 709 | 0 | 1 | $8.4M |
| Blizzard | 524 | 0 | 0 | $60.0K |
| Heavy Snow | 439 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
| Winter Storm | 385 | 0 | 0 | $200.0K |
| Flood | 182 | 0 | 0 | $81.9M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015-2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 57.0/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$12.1M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Wildfire Relatively Moderate
Avalanche Relatively High
Landslide Relatively Low
Earthquake Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Moderate
Winter Weather Relatively Moderate
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Riverine Flooding Very Low
Hail Very Low
Strong Wind Very Low
Tornado Very Low
Drought 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.
Worth noting for Southeast Fairbanks Census Area: the model and the federal record do NOT point at the same hazard. Wildfire carries the highest modeled rating (Relatively Moderate), 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
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area's closest FEMA peer: Chase County, NE
Comparisons use published FEMA declaration fields plus the National Risk Index composite for Southeast Fairbanks Census Area. Record similarity, not a safety rating.
Closest declaration profiles
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area shows 12 FEMA declarations, led by Flood.
Similar Major-disaster share
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area: 10 of 12 of its declarations are Major.
Similar modeled NRI score
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area: NRI composite 57.0 (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 Southeast Fairbanks Census Area - capture-dated entries only.
Further reading for this county
Most disaster-prone counties
With 12 FEMA declarations, Southeast Fairbanks Census Area 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 Southeast Fairbanks Census Area?
The most common disaster type in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area is Flood, with 4 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (3), Biological (2), Fire (1).
How does Southeast Fairbanks Census Area's FEMA declaration record compare with the Alaska average?
FEMA lists 12 declaration records for Southeast Fairbanks Census Area. That is 66% above the Alaska county mean of 7.2. Its count is also 42% 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 Southeast Fairbanks Census Area received?
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area has received 10 major disaster declarations, representing 83% of all 12 disaster declarations.
What was the worst year for disasters in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area was 2013, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 1989 to 2023.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Southeast Fairbanks Census Area?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska has an overall risk score of 57.0 out of 100 (Relatively Low). On social vulnerability the county rates Very High; on community resilience, Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $12.1M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Southeast Fairbanks Census Area?
The top hazard flagged by FEMA's NRI for Southeast Fairbanks Census Area as of the latest release is Wildfire (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Avalanche (Relatively High) and Landslide (Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled event frequency puts wildfire here at roughly once every 117 years. 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 Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, AK has 12 federal declaration records, 66% more than the Alaska county mean of 7; its history sits in PlainHazard's high activity band.
- Within this above-state-average declaration file, major disaster leads with 10 of 12 records; the category describes past federal action, not the next likely hazard. Alaska overview
- The state benchmark and national rank point the same way: this count tops the Alaska mean and the totals for 14% 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.