Fairbanks North Star Borough, AK
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Fairbanks North Star Borough has experienced 17 federally declared disasters since 1989, most recently Himalaya Road Fire in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Fairbanks North Star Borough's highest-rated hazards are landslide, wildfire, and earthquake, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Fairbanks North Star Borough has been designated in 17 declarations since 1989, covering 7 disaster types including fire (6), severe storm (4), biological (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Fire | Nenana Ridge Complex |
| 2025 | Fire | Himalaya Road Fire |
| 2023 | Fire | Lost Horse Creek Fire |
| 2022 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Fire | Shovel Creek Fire |
| 2014 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2011 | Fire | Moose Mountain Fire |
Showing the 10 most recent of 17 total declarations since 1989.
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 | 97.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 45.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 97.6 | 70 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Insufficient Data | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 0.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 1.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 97.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 35.8 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 96.5 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 60 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 99.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | 79.2 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 53.4 | — | — | — |
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
Fairbanks North Star Borough ranks in the 49th 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 | 49th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 35th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 23rd | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 69th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 77th | 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 | 98th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 98th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 71.5% | — |
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 Fairbanks North Star Borough?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska are landslide, wildfire, and earthquake. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Fairbanks North Star Borough received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Fairbanks North Star Borough has received 17 federal disaster declarations since 1989, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is fire (6 declarations).
Has Fairbanks North Star Borough had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Fairbanks North Star Borough include Nenana Ridge Complex (2025), Himalaya Road Fire (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1989.
How does Fairbanks North Star Borough's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Anchorage Municipality, AK has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Denali Borough, AK has the lowest (Very Low). Fairbanks North Star Borough is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Fairbanks North Star Borough's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Fairbanks North Star Borough'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. Fairbanks North Star Borough's composite score of 89 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 89% of US counties.