Douglas County, NV
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Douglas County has experienced 25 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Conner Fire in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Douglas County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, earthquake, and winter weather, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Community vulnerability is relatively low (21st percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
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 1965, covering 6 disaster types including fire (13), severe storm (4), flood (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Fire | Conner Fire |
| 2024 | Fire | Spring Valley Fire |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2021 | Fire | Tamarack Fire |
| 2021 | Fire | Jacks Valley Fire |
| 2020 | Fire | Numbers Fire |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Fire | Canyon Fire |
| 2017 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Showing the 10 most recent of 25 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 | 97.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 73.8 | 10 | 0 | $5.8M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 96.3 | 26 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 62.3 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 2.6 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 25.4 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 22.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 96.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | No Rating | 0 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 64.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 79.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 68.4 | 5 | 0 | $27K |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | 77.5 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 40.7 | — | — | — |
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 21st percentile (Very 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 | 21st | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 20th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 44th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 56th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 12th | 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 | 97th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 97th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 38.4% | — |
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, Nevada are wildfire, earthquake, and winter weather. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Douglas County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Douglas County has received 25 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is fire (13 declarations).
Has Douglas County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Douglas County include Conner Fire (2025), Spring Valley Fire (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Douglas County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Placer County, CA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Alpine County, CA has the lowest (Very Low). Douglas County is rated Relatively Moderate 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 84 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 84% of US counties.