Elko County, Nevada: hazard risk
FEMA rates Elko County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 87.9 of 100, higher than 87% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by wildfire, winter weather. Its storm record holds 1,437 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 99.9 | $62M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 87.4 | $355K |
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | 81.1 | $502K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 84.2 | $2.7M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 55.9 | $516K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 54.5 | $8.0M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 51.9 | $263K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 39.2 | $64K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 18.2 | $168K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 56.6 | $2K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 22.4 | $278K |
| Hail | Very Low | 20.9 | $79K |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 10.4 | $0 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 1.7 | $2K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 564 | 3 | $62K | 10th of 17 | 2803rd of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 510 | 0 | $4.3M | 14th of 17 | 2149th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 173 | 0 | $5.0M | 7th of 17 | 2889th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 79 | 0 | $5.5M | 11th of 17 | 2987th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 55 | 0 | $5.9M | 9th of 17 | 2985th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 0 | $1.4M | 6th of 17 | 2895th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 9 | 1 | $33K | 8th of 17 | 405th of 2,278 |
| Wildfires | 8 | 0 | $1.2M | 9th of 17 | 1241st of 2,972 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 0 | – | 13th of 17 | 2886th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $6K | 8th of 17 | 2424th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Elko County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.