Broward County, FL
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Broward County has experienced 43 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Hurricane Milton in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Broward County's highest-rated hazards are lightning, hurricane, and inland flooding, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 180 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is elevated (78th percentile nationally), suggesting residents may face greater difficulty recovering from major disasters.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Broward County has been designated in 43 declarations since 1965, covering 9 disaster types including hurricane (25), freezing (5), severe storm (4).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hurricane | Hurricane Milton |
| 2025 | Hurricane | Hurricane Milton |
| 2023 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Nicole |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2023 | Hurricane | Hurricane Nicole |
| 2022 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Ian |
| 2022 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
Showing the 10 most recent of 43 total declarations since 1965.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 97 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very High | 99.4 | 87 | 0 | $31.3M |
| Coastal Flooding | Very High | 97 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 40.9 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 98.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 96.3 | 27 | 0 | $3.3M |
| Hurricane | Very High | 99.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 34.2 | 45 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 80.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 95.2 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very High | 100 | 21 | 5 | $783K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 34.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 67 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Insufficient Data | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Broward County ranks in the 78th percentile (High) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 78th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 79th | High |
| Household characteristics | 49th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 95th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 68th | Moderate |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 100th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 100th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 5.8% | — |
NOAA tracked 180 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 94 in 2016–20 vs 86 in 2021–25 (-9% — relatively stable).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Broward County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Broward County, Florida are lightning, hurricane, and inland flooding. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Broward County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Broward County has received 43 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (25 declarations).
Has Broward County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Broward County include Hurricane Milton (2025), Hurricane Milton (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Broward County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Miami-Dade County, FL has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Very High) and Hendry County, FL has the lowest (Relatively Low). Broward County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Broward County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Broward County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Broward County's composite score of 100 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 100% of US counties.