Interactive tool · FEMA + NOAA data
Natural Disaster Risk Score Calculator
Get a composite 0–100 disaster risk score for any U.S. state or county, built from FEMA disaster declarations, NOAA storm events, property-damage history, and hazard diversity. See our methodology.
About this calculator
This calculator draws on all 56 U.S. states and territories in PlainHazard's database, benchmarking each location against a national average of 20 FEMA disaster declarations per state. A location's composite score sorts it into a Low, Moderate, High, or Very High risk tier, drawn entirely from historical FEMA and NOAA records, never a predictive model or forecast.
- 56
- states and territories you can score
- 20
- FEMA declarations, the national per-state average
- 4
- risk tiers: Low, Moderate, High, Very High
Pick a state below to see its full breakdown across all four scored factors.
Most disaster-prone states
Total FEMA disaster declarations, pick any state above to score it
- California
California
162 declarations
- Washington
Washington
95 declarations
- Oregon
Oregon
76 declarations
- Oklahoma 63
Oklahoma
63 declarations
- Arizona 42
Arizona
42 declarations
- Montana 40
Montana
40 declarations
- Texas 39
Texas
39 declarations
- New Mexico 33
New Mexico
33 declarations
- Florida 32
Florida
32 declarations
- Nevada 31
Nevada
31 declarations
What this shows California records the most FEMA disaster declarations of any state. Select a state or county to see its full 0–100 risk score.
What you'll get
- 0–100 composite risk score for the state or county
- 4 scored factors with a per-factor breakdown
- 18 FEMA hazard types ranked for your county
- Rank your county vs neighbors by NRI risk score
- ↗ shareable link to your county's profile
How the risk score works
A transparent, disclosed 0–100 composite index built from four federal-data factors, each benchmarked against national medians. This is PlainHazard's own derived index, not an official FEMA or NOAA rating, see the exact weights and formula in our methodology.
30 pts
FEMA Declarations
Disaster declaration count relative to national averages.
25 pts
Storm Events
NOAA severe-weather event frequency versus the median state.
25 pts
Property Damage
Total property and crop damage versus the national median.
20 pts
Hazard Diversity
How many different disaster types have been declared in the area.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the disaster risk score calculated?
The composite score (0-100) combines four factors: FEMA disaster declaration frequency (30 points), storm event density (25 points), property and crop damage history (25 points), and hazard diversity (20 points). Each factor is benchmarked against national medians.
What data sources are used?
The calculator uses FEMA OpenFEMA disaster declarations (1973–2026), and the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025) for severe-weather records. All data comes from official U.S. government sources.
What does the risk level mean?
Low (0-24): Below-average disaster activity. Moderate (25-49): Average disaster exposure. High (50-74): Above-average risk with frequent declarations. Very High (75-100): Among the most disaster-prone areas in the U.S.
Can I look up risk for a specific county?
Yes. Select a state first, then optionally select a county to see county-specific risk analysis. County scores are based on FEMA declarations for that county, compared to national and state averages.
How often is the data updated?
The underlying database includes FEMA disasters through 2026 and NOAA storm events through 2025. The risk scores reflect the full historical record available from each source.
How to use this
This score is a historical-data summary, not a prediction, use it as a starting point for further research, not a final verdict on any one place.
- Score your state first to set a national baseline, then narrow to a specific county for localized detail. Browse states
- A low county score does not guarantee low risk, rare but severe hazards (a single major hurricane or earthquake) can score low on this 2015-2025 window while still posing real long-run exposure.
- Pair this score with FEMA's own National Risk Index rating and your local hazard maps before making insurance or relocation decisions. Read the methodology
This composite score is PlainHazard's own derived index, weighted and combined by us from federal source data, not an official FEMA or NOAA rating.
Data sources: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (1973–2026), NOAA Storm Events Database, NFIP Flood Insurance Claims. Risk scores are computed from historical data and do not predict future events. This tool is for informational purposes only.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this calculator scores against FEMA data covering 2,791 U.S. counties, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. Read our methodology for how the score is computed.
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 national statistics report, or report a data error.