Storm hazard · NOAA Storm Events Database
Dense Smoke in the United States
National statistics for dense smoke events from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015-2025): how often they occur, where they hit hardest, and the human and property toll.
- 128
- Events recorded
- 1
- Fatalities
- $0
- Property damage
- 8
- States affected
The verdict
NOAA records dense smoke more prominently by frequency than by loss: #43 of 54 for event count versus #51 for combined damage. Its <0.1% event share and 0% damage share describe different parts of the record.
- #43 of 54
- NOAA hazard types, by event count
- <0.1%
- share of all NOAA storm events, 2015-2025
- 128
- dense smoke events, 8 states affected
Ranking reflects NOAA Storm Events Database event counts, not fatalities, injuries, or damage severity; a rare hazard type can still be individually catastrophic.
How dangerous are Dense Smoke events in the U.S.?
Per event, this hazard is far more dangerous than its frequency suggests. It ranks #43 by how often it is recorded among the 44 hazard types with at least 100 events, but #27 by fatalities per event, at 7.8 deaths per 1,000 recorded events. Recorded damage averages $0 per event. A reader scanning total counts would underestimate the risk of encountering one.
The cumulative NOAA record has a smaller reported human toll than most hazard types on this measure: 1 fatality and 0 injuries among 128 events. PlainHazard's low human-toll band means fewer than five recorded fatalities during 2015-2025. It does not mean that an individual event is harmless, or that unrecorded impacts are zero.
Where this hazard actually strikes varies sharply by region. The three states absorbing the largest share of events are North Dakota (36 events, 0 fatalities), California (31 events, 0 fatalities), Washington (26 events, 0 fatalities), a pattern driven more by climatology than by any one state's vulnerability. At the other end, states such as Colorado, Nevada, Montana report far fewer events, often reflecting hazard climatology rather than underreporting.
This is a more frequency-heavy than loss-heavy record. The hazard ranks #43 by event count but #51 for combined property and crop damage, a gap of 8 places. Its listed losses represent 0% of the catalog total. The human-toll rank is #45, or <0.1% of recorded fatalities, so neither event count nor damage rank substitutes for the other.
The annual record is uneven rather than steadily rising or falling. The peak year on record was 2023, logging 46 events and $0 in property damage in a single calendar year. The most recent year in the dataset is 2023 with 46 events recorded. Across the full 7-year window, annual event counts reflect natural year-to-year noise given how infrequently this hazard is recorded at all.
NOAA entries are reports filed by local National Weather Service offices. Counts therefore reflect both observed weather and reporting practice; they do not measure unreported events, household exposure, or the probability of a future event at one address.
Dense Smoke by State
Download all 16 state-year rows as CSV . Source data is public domain; our derived presentation is CC0.
This is one of the most geographically concentrated hazards in the NOAA catalog: the five most-affected states absorb 92% of all 128 recorded events.
| # | State | Events | Fatalities | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota ND | 36 | 0 | $0 |
| 2 | California CA | 31 | 0 | $0 |
| 3 | Washington WA | 26 | 0 | $0 |
| 4 | Idaho ID | 15 | 0 | $0 |
| 5 | South Dakota SD | 10 | 0 | $0 |
| 6 | Colorado CO | 7 | 0 | $0 |
| 7 | Nevada NV | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| 8 | Montana MT | 1 | 1 | $0 |
Dense Smoke by Year
Recorded dense smoke events averaged 16 per year across 2015-2019 versus 21 per year across 2020-2025: a 31% higher recorded rate in the later window. Reporting intensity varies by forecast office, so window-to-window comparisons describe the record, not a verified physical trend.
| Year | Events | Fatalities | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 46 | 0 | $0 |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | $0 |
| 2020 | 14 | 0 | $0 |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| 2018 | 45 | 0 | $0 |
| 2017 | 16 | 0 | $0 |
| 2015 | 2 | 1 | $0 |
What this record shows for Dense Smoke
Dense Smoke ranks #43 of 54 NOAA hazard types by event count; North Dakota leads the geography table with 36 events, and 2023 is the peak year at 46 events.
- North Dakota carries the largest share of recorded dense smoke events in this catalog. North Dakota profile
- Compare how often this hazard appears against other NOAA event types nationally. All hazards
- Dense Smoke events concentrate unevenly - the five most-affected states already account for a large share of the national dense smoke record in this extract. Hazard risk by region
NOAA Storm Events counts reflect filed reports, not a forecast or household-level probability. For current threats follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
Further reading for Dense Smoke
Hazard risk by region
Dense Smoke events concentrate unevenly - the five most-affected states already account for a large share of the national dense smoke record in this extract.
More PlainHazard guides
- Preparing for natural disasters - household checklist (not hazard-specific advice).
- Hazard risk by region - how exposure varies across U.S. regions.
- Climate change and disasters - national severity and frequency context.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which states record the most dense smoke events?
How much damage do dense smoke events cause?
What year had the most dense smoke events?
How dangerous are dense smoke events?
Which states have the fewest dense smoke events?
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (2015-2025) For informational purposes only
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
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.