Douglas County, MO
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Douglas County has experienced 25 federally declared disasters since 1973, most recently Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Douglas County's highest-rated hazards are ice storm, landslide, and heat wave, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 16% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Douglas County has been designated in 25 declarations since 1973, covering 6 disaster types including severe storm (14), flood (4), severe ice storm (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2020 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2017 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds And Flooding |
| 2016 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2016 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 25 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 | Very Low | 58.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 27 | 225 | 1 | $14.8M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 63.4 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 71.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 46.1 | 13 | 0 | $480K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 27.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 18 | 91 | 0 | $1.4M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 60.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 37.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 80.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 46.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 32.9 | 5 | 0 | $65K |
| Drought | Very Low | 26.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 76 | 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
Douglas County ranks in the 60th 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 | 60th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 87th | High |
| Household characteristics | 82nd | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 12th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 14th | 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 | 71st | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 66th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 91.0% | — |
NOAA tracked 330 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 153 in 2016–20 vs 177 in 2021–25 (+16% — frequency increasing).
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 Douglas County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Douglas County, Missouri are ice storm, landslide, and heat wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Douglas County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Douglas County has received 25 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (14 declarations).
Has Douglas County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Douglas County include Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (2025), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2025), Severe Storms And Flooding (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1973.
How does Douglas County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Taney County, MO has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Ozark County, MO has the lowest (Very Low). Douglas County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Douglas County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Douglas 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. Douglas County's composite score of 24 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 24% of US counties.