Greenwood County, KS
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Greenwood County has experienced 25 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Greenwood County's highest-rated hazards are ice storm, wildfire, and hail, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 22% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (30th 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. Greenwood County has been designated in 25 declarations since 1965, covering 5 disaster types including severe storm (18), flood (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2019 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2017 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2015 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2014 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
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 Moderate | 91.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 26.6 | 17 | 0 | $600 |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 22.2 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 43 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 23.6 | 8 | 0 | $17.6M |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 66.2 | 37 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 48.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 55.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 92.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 28.5 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 37.7 | 1 | 0 | $30K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 44.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 59.2 | 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
Greenwood County ranks in the 30th 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 | 30th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 32nd | Low |
| Household characteristics | 79th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 25th | Low |
| 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 | 92nd | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 95th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 68.6% | — |
NOAA tracked 64 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 36 in 2016–20 vs 28 in 2021–25 (-22% — frequency decreasing).
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 Greenwood County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Greenwood County, Kansas are ice storm, wildfire, and hail. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Greenwood County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Greenwood County has received 25 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (18 declarations).
Has Greenwood County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Greenwood County include Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2025), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Greenwood County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Butler County, KS has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Woodson County, KS has the lowest (Very Low). Greenwood County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Greenwood County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Greenwood 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. Greenwood County's composite score of 25 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 25% of US counties.