Chautauqua County, KS
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Chautauqua County has experienced 16 federally declared disasters since 1973, most recently Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Wildfires in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Chautauqua County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, landslide, and ice storm, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 33 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. Chautauqua County has been designated in 16 declarations since 1973, covering 5 disaster types including severe storm (10), biological (2), flood (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Wildfires |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Severe Storm | Tornadoes And Flooding |
| 2019 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,And Mudslides |
| 2015 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2009 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Record And Near Record Snow |
| 2008 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2008 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding And Tornadoes |
Showing the 10 most recent of 16 total declarations since 1973.
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 | 90.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 11.8 | 9 | 0 | $500 |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 19 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 32.4 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 44.3 | 6 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 16.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 36.7 | 17 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 27 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 30.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 54.2 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 26.7 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 7.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 44 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 66.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| 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
Chautauqua County ranks in the 58th percentile (Moderate) 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 | 58th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 66th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 52nd | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 46th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 49th | 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 | 96th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 96th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 77.0% | — |
NOAA tracked 33 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 17 in 2016–20 vs 16 in 2021–25 (-6% — 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 Chautauqua County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Chautauqua County, Kansas are wildfire, landslide, and ice storm. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Chautauqua County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Chautauqua County has received 16 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (10 declarations).
Has Chautauqua County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Chautauqua County include Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Wildfires (2025), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1973.
How does Chautauqua County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Osage County, OK has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Elk County, KS has the lowest (Very Low). Chautauqua County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Chautauqua County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Chautauqua 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. Chautauqua County's composite score of 12 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 12% of US counties.