Butte County, CA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Butte County has experienced 39 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Butte County's highest-rated hazards are drought, wildfire, and landslide, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 97 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is elevated (82nd 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. Butte County has been designated in 39 declarations since 1965, covering 9 disaster types including fire (17), severe storm (9), flood (6).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Fire | Thompson Fire |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2024 | Fire | Park Fire |
| 2023 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2020 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2020 | Fire | Bear Fire |
Showing the 10 most recent of 39 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 High | 98.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 93.2 | 89 | 0 | $551.8M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 97.5 | 4 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 82 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 28.2 | 2 | 0 | $17K |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 34 | 3 | 0 | $1K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 12.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 25.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | No Rating | 0 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 68.1 | 2 | 0 | $46K |
| Drought | Very High | 99.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 97.6 | 5 | 0 | $4.5M |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 27.8 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 79.5 | — | — | — |
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
Butte County ranks in the 82nd 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 | 82nd | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 77th | High |
| Household characteristics | 48th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 68th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 94th | High |
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 | 93rd | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 95th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 45.1% | — |
NOAA tracked 97 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 52 in 2016–20 vs 45 in 2021–25 (-13% — frequency decreasing).
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 Butte County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Butte County, California are drought, wildfire, and landslide. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Butte County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Butte County has received 39 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is fire (17 declarations).
Has Butte County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Butte County include Thompson Fire (2024), Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (2024), Park Fire (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Butte County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Tehama County, CA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Glenn County, CA has the lowest (Relatively Low). Butte County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Butte County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Butte 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. Butte County's composite score of 94 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 94% of US counties.