Calaveras County, CA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Calaveras County has experienced 24 federally declared disasters since 1977, most recently Gann Fire in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Calaveras County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, drought, and landslide, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 25 storm events in the county over the past decade.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Calaveras County has been designated in 24 declarations since 1977, covering 6 disaster types including severe storm (8), fire (7), flood (5).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Fire | Gann Fire |
| 2025 | Fire | 2-7 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 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2017 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| 2017 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Showing the 10 most recent of 24 total declarations since 1977.
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 | 99.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 77.6 | 23 | 0 | $7.6M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 76.7 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 8 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 7.4 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 9.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 91.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | No Rating | 0 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 56.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively High | 98.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 96.6 | 1 | 0 | $5K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 35.1 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 59.3 | — | — | — |
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
Calaveras County ranks in the 34th percentile (Low) 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 | 34th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 54th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 47th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 55th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 6th | Very low |
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 | 98th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 99th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 83.9% | — |
NOAA tracked 25 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 9 in 2016–20 vs 16 in 2021–25 .
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 Calaveras County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Calaveras County, California are wildfire, drought, and landslide. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Calaveras County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Calaveras County has received 24 federal disaster declarations since 1977, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (8 declarations).
Has Calaveras County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Calaveras County include Gann Fire (2026), 2-7 Fire (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1977.
How does Calaveras County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, San Joaquin County, CA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Amador County, CA has the lowest (Relatively Low). Calaveras County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Calaveras County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Calaveras 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. Calaveras County's composite score of 87 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 87% of US counties.