Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska
Census Area storm and disaster record · FIPS 02240 · population 6,763 · 24,832 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 280 records for Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 224 days; the most frequent are high wind and dust records (162 records). 280 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the December 6, 2014 avalanche, filed for the forecast zone Ne. Slopes Of The Ern Ak Rng, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 13 declarations naming the county since 1989, 11 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Mukluk Fire” on August 18, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 280on 224 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 20 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $7.4Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 13latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Southeast Fairbanks Census Area most?
The most frequent records are high wind and dust records: 162 since 2001. The rank column places the county among Alaska's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 162 | 132 | 2001-2026 | 0 | 0 | $115K | 20 of 29 |
| Winter storms | 85 | 69 | 2001-2026 | 0 | 0 | $498 | 26 of 29 |
| Floods | 16 | 16 | 2001-2005 | 0 | 0 | $6.9M | 15 of 29 |
| Extreme cold | 12 | 7 | 2006-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 of 29 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 3 | 2004-2004 | 0 | 0 | $422K | 21 of 29 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 2 | 2004-2014 | 2 | 0 | – | 15 of 29 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
When was the last damaging storm in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 16, 2025 high wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | High WindSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area · forecast zone Delta Junction | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-22 | High WindSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area · forecast zone Eastern Alaska Range North Of Trims Camp | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-19 | Winter StormSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area · forecast zone Eastern Alaska Range South Of Trims Camp | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-12 | Heavy SnowSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area · forecast zone Upper Tanana Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-12 | Heavy SnowSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area · forecast zone Eastern Alaska Range North Of Trims Camp | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-25 | BlizzardSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area · forecast zone Eastern Alaska Range South Of Trims Camp | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-16 | High WindSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area · forecast zone Eastern Alaska Range North Of Trims Camp | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-15 | High WindSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area · forecast zone Delta Junction | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-12-24 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area · forecast zone Fortymile Country | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-12 | High WindSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area · forecast zone Eastern Alaska Range North Of Trims Camp | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-08 | High WindSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area · forecast zone Eastern Alaska Range North Of Trims Camp | 63 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-08-28 | High WindSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area · forecast zone Eastern Alaska Range North Of Trims Camp | 64 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-12-06 | AvalancheValdez-Cordova Census Area and 2 more · forecast zone Ne. Slopes Of The Ern Ak Rng A 35 year-old man perished in an avalanche on the 6th, two and a half miles east of the Richardson Highway in the Alaska Range, approximately 60 miles south of Delta Junction. He had been skiing in the back country with another man, who was also caught in the avalanche, but survived. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2004-04-10 | AvalancheValdez-Cordova Census Area and 2 more · forecast zone Ne. Slopes Of The Ern Ak Rng An avalanche occurred in the Gun Creek canyon, during the annual Arctic Man Ski-N-Sno-go Classic held at Summit Lake. A 24 year old man was trying to free his snowmobile stuck near the bottom of the canyon. Two other traveling companions each left their snowmobiles and walked toward the man to assist him. The ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-04-25 | FloodDenali Borough and 3 more · forecast zone Deltana And Tanana | 0 | 0 | $3.2M | |
| 2003-05-01 | FloodDenali Borough and 3 more · forecast zone Deltana And Tanana | 0 | 0 | $3.2M | |
| 2004-08-01 | WildfireFairbanks North Star Borough and 2 more · forecast zone Upr Tanana Vly Fortymile | 0 | 0 | $422K | |
| 2025-04-16 | High WindSoutheast Fairbanks Census Area · forecast zone Delta Junction | 66 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Southeast Fairbanks Census Area's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 72 | 54 | 36 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 35 | 32 | 18 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 53 · Feb 29 · Mar 11 · Apr 24 · May 9 · Jun 5 · Jul 8 · Aug 11 · Sep 26 · Oct 35 · Nov 36 · Dec 33 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
FEMA's register lists 13 declarations that include Southeast Fairbanks Census Area: 10 major disasters, one emergency and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (4) and severe storm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-18 | FM-5672 | Fire | Mukluk Fire |
| 2023-08-23 | DR-4730 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2022-08-26 | DR-4667 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2020-04-09 | DR-4533 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3446 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2013-06-25 | DR-4122 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2012-11-27 | DR-4094 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2009-06-11 | DR-1843 | Flood | Flooding and Ice Jams |
| 2006-12-08 | DR-1669 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2004-08-10 | FM-2542 | Fire | Ak-Bolgen Creek Fire-08-10-2004 |
| 2002-11-08 | DR-1440 | Earthquake | Earthquake |
| 2000-02-17 | DR-1316 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Avalanches |
| 1989-05-10 | DR-826 | Freezing | Severe Freezing |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Southeast Fairbanks Census Area Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $12.1 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Relatively High | $1.9M | once in about 15 years (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $4.9M | once in about 117 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.4M | 4.9 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $77K | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $23K | 28 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $2.0M | once in about 21 years (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $4 | once in about 2,000 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Very Low | $26K | 43 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- High wind and dust storms in AlaskaThe state's high wind and dust records, by county, year and month
- The Alaska recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Southeast Fairbanks Census AreaThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Southeast Fairbanks Census Area's FEMA declarations (CSV)13 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis