Johnson County, KS
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Johnson County has experienced 12 federally declared disasters since 1969, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Johnson County's highest-rated hazards are winter weather, tornado, and hail, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 19% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is relatively low (6th 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. Johnson County has been designated in 12 declarations since 1969, covering 6 disaster types including severe storm (5), biological (2), flood (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2008 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2002 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm |
| 1999 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding And Tornadoes |
| 1999 | Severe Storm | Ks-Flooding 10/31/98 |
| 1993 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 12 total declarations since 1969.
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 | 61.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively High | 94.9 | 20 | 0 | $10K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 75.7 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 98.4 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very High | 98.9 | 7 | 0 | $100K |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively High | 98.9 | 202 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 47.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 100 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 98.7 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 98 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very High | 98.4 | 1 | 0 | $100K |
| Drought | Very Low | 24.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 69 | 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
Johnson County ranks in the 6th 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 | 6th | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 4th | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 20th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 55th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 8th | 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 | 36th | Relatively Low |
| Risk to homes | 35th | Relatively Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 19.7% | — |
NOAA tracked 205 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 113 in 2016–20 vs 92 in 2021–25 (-19% — 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 Johnson County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Johnson County, Kansas are winter weather, tornado, and hail. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Johnson County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Johnson County has received 12 federal disaster declarations since 1969, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (5 declarations).
Has Johnson County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Johnson County include Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1969.
How does Johnson County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Jackson County, MO has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Miami County, KS has the lowest (Relatively Low). Johnson County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Johnson County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Johnson 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. Johnson County's composite score of 95 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 95% of US counties.