FEMA Records
19
Total declarations
Nevada · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Washoe County, NV
19 FEMA disaster declarations (2016–2025), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively High. Most common hazard: Fire.
- 19
- FEMA declarations
- 0
- Major disasters
- 97
- NRI risk · Relatively High
- Fire
- Top hazard
The verdict
Washoe County ranks in the riskiest 3% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 99% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively High, based on 19 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2016, most often fire, 394% above the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 3%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively High
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 19
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 19
- 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 Washoe County compare?
Washoe County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
19 Top 1% higher than 99% 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 · 2026-07-20
Washoe County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Nevada county average
How disaster-prone is Washoe County?
Declaration frequency
Washoe County, Nevada has recorded 19 FEMA disaster declarations between 2016 and 2025, of which 0 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 2.1 declarations per year across a 9-year record, or roughly 375% above the Nevada county average of 4.0 and 394% above the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Fire, with 19 of 19 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 96.7/100 (Relatively High). Expected Annual Loss is rated Relatively High (roughly $273.8M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability reads Relatively Low and community resilience Relatively Moderate, both critical modifiers of realized harm here. Of the 18 hazards FEMA models, Earthquake stands out as the sharpest exposure here, rated Relatively High.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, these indicators place Washoe 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. Nevada Avg
+375%
State avg: 4.0
vs. National Avg
+394%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
2.1
Over 9 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Washoe County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Washoe 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
32031
NV state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Fire 19
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Fire Management - 19 100.0%
of all 19 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 4 | |
| 2019 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 2 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5602 | PEAVINE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-08-02 |
| 5586 | MARIE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2025-06-10 |
| 5546 | CALLAHAN FIRE | FM | Fire | 2024-11-11 |
| 5533 | DAVIS FIRE | FM | Fire | 2024-09-07 |
| 5530 | GOLD RANCH FIRE | FM | Fire | 2024-08-12 |
| 5495 | SULLIVAN FIRE | FM | Fire | 2024-06-12 |
| 5494 | TRAIL FIRE | FM | Fire | 2024-06-11 |
| 5448 | JOY LAKE FIRE | FM | Fire | 2022-08-14 |
| 5382 | PINEHAVEN FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-11-17 |
| 5328 | LOYALTON FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-08-15 |
| 5326 | NORTH FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-08-03 |
| 5322 | ROCKFARM FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-07-21 |
| 5316 | POEVILLE ROAD FIRE | FM | Fire | 2020-06-27 |
| 5291 | LONG VALLEY FIRE | FM | Fire | 2019-08-24 |
| 5283 | JASPER FIRE | FM | Fire | 2019-07-13 |
| 5190 | COLD SPRINGS FIRE | FM | Fire | 2017-07-14 |
| 5156 | LITTLE VALLEY FIRE | FM | Fire | 2016-10-14 |
| 5141 | VIRGINIA MOUNTAINS COMPLEX FIRE | FM | Fire | 2016-07-31 |
| 5138 | ROCK FIRE | FM | Fire | 2016-07-29 |
Storm Events in Nevada
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind | 2,229 | 0 | 2 | $15.5M |
| Heavy Snow | 1,091 | 0 | 0 | $123.0K |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 573 | 4 | 0 | $10.0M |
| Flash Flood | 383 | 8 | 3 | $38.8M |
| Excessive Heat | 317 | 443 | 17 | $0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively High
Score: 96.7/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively High
$273.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Low
Community Resilience
Relatively Moderate
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Earthquake Relatively High
Winter Weather Very High
Wildfire Relatively High
Lightning Relatively High
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Avalanche Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Volcanic Activity Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Tornado Very Low
Cold Wave Very Low
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 Nevada
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Washoe County, Nevada had?
Washoe County, Nevada has received 19 FEMA disaster declarations from 2016 to 2025.
What is the most common disaster type in Washoe County?
The most common disaster type in Washoe County is Fire, with 19 declarations.
How does Washoe County's disaster risk compare to the Nevada average?
Washoe County has 19 disaster declarations, which is 375% higher than the Nevada county average of 4.0 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 394% higher.
What types of storms are most common in Nevada?
The most common storm types in Nevada include High Wind (2,229 events), Heavy Snow (1,091 events), Thunderstorm Wind (573 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Washoe County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Washoe County was 2020, with 4 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2016 to 2025.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Washoe County?
Washoe County has recorded 19 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 Washoe County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Washoe County, Nevada has an overall risk score of 96.7 out of 100 (Relatively High). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Low and community resilience is Relatively Moderate. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively High, representing $273.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Washoe County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Washoe County is Earthquake (risk rating: Relatively High). Other significant hazards include Winter Weather (Very High) and Wildfire (Relatively 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 Washoe County
Washoe County, NV runs 375% above the Nevada county average for federal disaster declarations (19 vs 4), a high historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is fire management (19 of 19) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Nevada 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 2026-07-20. 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 report a data error.