Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska
Census Area storm and disaster record · FIPS 02290 · population 5,280 · 145,769 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 722 records for Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 431 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (451 records). 722 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 March 12, 2015 cold/wind chill, filed for the forecast zone Middle Tanana Valley, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1986, 17 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Flooding, and Remnants of Typhoon Halong” on October 22, 2025.
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
- 722on 431 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 79 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $35Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 19latest 2025
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 Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 451 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 451 | 253 | 2001-2026 | 3 | 7 | $2.5M | 28 of 29 |
| High wind and dust storms | 142 | 119 | 2001-2025 | 0 | 2 | $2.3M | 28 of 29 |
| Floods | 56 | 47 | 2001-2022 | 0 | 0 | $17M | 21 of 29 |
| Extreme cold | 45 | 26 | 2001-2026 | 3 | 0 | – | 20 of 29 |
| Wildfires | 17 | 11 | 2004-2022 | 0 | 0 | $5.5M | 24 of 29 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 5 | 2003-2005 | 0 | 0 | $7.6M | 13 of 29 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 3 | 3 | 2014-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 of 29 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2009-2009 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 29 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2006-2006 | 1 | 0 | – | 19 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 Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the October 12, 2025 high wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-24 | Heavy SnowYukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone Lower Koyukuk Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-24 | Heavy SnowYukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone Nenana | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-23 | Heavy SnowYukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone Middle Yukon Valley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter StormYukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone White Mountains And High Terrain South Of The Yukon River | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-18 | Winter StormYukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone White Mountains And High Terrain South Of The Yukon River | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-17 | Heavy SnowYukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone Nenana | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-14 | Heavy SnowYukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone Central Interior | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-13 | Winter StormYukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone White Mountains And High Terrain South Of The Yukon River | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-10 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillYukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone South Slopes Of The Eastern Brooks Range | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-16 | BlizzardYukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone White Mountains And High Terrain South Of The Yukon River | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-10 | Heavy SnowYukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone Nenana | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-10 | Heavy SnowYukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone White Mountains And High Terrain South Of The Yukon River | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-03-12 | Cold/Wind ChillFairbanks North Star Borough and Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone Middle Tanana Valley Near record cold temperatures on the night of the 12th and the morning of the 13th resulted in two unrelated fatalities. A 30 YOM died from exposure near the University of Alaska-Fairbanks campus along a bike path. Another man whose age is unknown, also died from exposure on the east side of Fairbanks, his body ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-10-29 | Winter WeatherFairbanks North Star Borough and Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone Middle Tanana Valley Warm air aloft along with light precipitation and below freezing surface temperatures caused light freezing rain during the morning and early afternoon on the 29th in the Fairbanks area, making roads and highways slippery. A traffic accident occurred northeast of Fairbanks on Chena hot springs road when two vehicles ... | 1 | 3 | – | |
| 2014-10-24 | Winter WeatherFairbanks North Star Borough and Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone Middle Tanana Valley After a number of days of temperatures above freezing, a light snowfall and falling temperatures occurred on the 24th in the Fairbanks area, making roads and highways slippery. A traffic accident occurred north of Fairbanks on the Steese Highway at the intersection with Hagelbarger Avenue when two vehicles collided ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2022-12-18 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillFairbanks North Star Borough and Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone Middle Tanana Valley Temperatures fell into the 30s below zero in Fairbanks. for an extended period of time between the 18th and the 23rd. The high temperature on both the 20th and 21st failed to climb above -30 degrees (F) at the Fairbanks airport. The coldest official temperature at the Fairbanks airport during this period was -39 ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2006-02-18 | Winter WeatherYukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys Moderate winds, with snow and blowing snow produced Winter Weather Advisory conditions over exposed portions of the zone, beyond the immediate area of weather reporting stations. A 42 year old woman, on a solo hunting trip, died from hypothermia when she was stranded after her snowmobile broke down. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2006-02-14 | AvalancheBethel Census Area and 2 more · forecast zone Kuskokwim Valley An avalanche at Pass Creek in Rainy Pass along the Alaska Range swept a snow machine and the driver of the machine into a terrain trap burying him and resulting in his death. The Avalanche occurred while he was breaking trail through the pass for the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2022-07-25 | Strong WindFairbanks North Star Borough and Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone Middle Tanana Valley Strong winds developed on the evening of the 25th in the Fairbanks area. Winds caused a significant number of downed trees, which led to over 75 separate power outages resulting in over 23,000 customers without power. The power outage caused 911 services in Fairbanks to be disrupted for several hours. Several small ... | 38 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $1.4M |
| 2011-02-20 | Winter StormFairbanks North Star Borough and Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone Middle Tanana Valley A 988 mb low in the southern Chukchi Sea at 1500AKST on the 20th weakened to 1003 mb near Barrow by 0300AKST on the 21st. The low caused a strong front to cross the area during the early morning hours on the 21st. A strong west to southwest flow aloft transported significant amounts of moisture into the Fairbanks ... | 0 | 2 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-10-19 | Storm Surge/TideKusilvak Census Area and 2 more · forecast zone Ern Norton Sound Nulato Hills | 0 | 0 | $7.3M | |
| 2002-05-09 | FloodFairbanks North Star Borough and Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone Middle Tanana Valley | 0 | 0 | $3.3M | |
| 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 | |
| 2013-11-13 | Ice StormFairbanks North Star Borough and Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone Middle Tanana Valley | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | |
| 2010-05-28 | WildfireYukon-Koyukuk Census Area · forecast zone Upper Kuskokwim Valley | 0 | 0 | $2.0M | |
| 2002-05-01 | FloodBethel Census Area and 2 more · forecast zone Kuskokwim Valley | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2002-05-12 | FloodBethel Census Area and 2 more · forecast zone Kuskokwim Valley | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
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 Yukon-Koyukuk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 190 | 166 | 95 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 84 | 41 | 17 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 0 | 47 | 8 | 1 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 29 | 13 | 3 |
| Wildfires | – | – | – | – | 0 | 11 | 2 | 4 |
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 Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 125 · Feb 122 · Mar 52 · Apr 54 · May 25 · Jun 13 · Jul 17 · Aug 13 · Sep 26 · Oct 51 · Nov 116 · Dec 108 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area: 15 major disasters, one emergency and 3 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for flood (8) and fire (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-22 | DR-4893 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Remnants of Typhoon Halong |
| 2025-07-06 | FM-5597 | Fire | Nenana Ridge Complex |
| 2023-08-23 | DR-4730 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2022-06-26 | FM-5442 | Fire | Clear Fire |
| 2022-03-24 | DR-4648 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020-04-09 | DR-4533 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3446 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2013-06-25 | DR-4122 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2009-06-11 | DR-1843 | Flood | Flooding and Ice Jams |
| 2008-09-26 | DR-1796 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2006-08-04 | DR-1657 | Flood | Snow Melt and Ice Jam Flooding |
| 2006-06-08 | FM-2641 | Fire | Parks Highway (Tamarack) Fire |
| 2002-11-08 | DR-1440 | Earthquake | Earthquake |
| 2002-06-26 | DR-1423 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1994-09-13 | DR-1039 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1991-05-30 | DR-909 | Snowstorm | Heavy Snow, Ice Jams & Flooding |
| 1989-06-10 | DR-832 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1989-05-10 | DR-826 | Freezing | Severe Freezing |
| 1986-10-27 | DR-782 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
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.
How many floods has Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 56 flood or flash flood records for Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area from 2001 to 2022, on 47 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area ranks 1470th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3.3 million on 72 claims filed in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area; the most in one year was 33 in 2013. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1984: 1 · 1992: 21 · 2005: 1 · 2008: 10 · 2011: 1 · 2013: 33 · 2014: 4 · 2020: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $12.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $9.3M | 5.1 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $68K | 3.7 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | $1.3M | once in about 102 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | $457K | once in about 30 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $113K | 25 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $647K | once in about 11 years (modeled) |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | $4 | once in about 48 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | $9K | once in about 68 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Yukon-Koyukuk 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
- Winter storms in AlaskaThe state's winter storm 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 Yukon-Koyukuk Census AreaThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis