Lake County, CA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Lake County has experienced 35 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Boyles Fire in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Lake County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, landslide, and earthquake, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 22 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is elevated (91st percentile nationally), suggesting residents may face greater difficulty recovering from major disasters.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Lake County has been designated in 35 declarations since 1965, covering 7 disaster types including fire (15), severe storm (9), flood (6).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Fire | Boyles Fire |
| 2023 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| 2021 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2020 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2020 | Fire | Lnu Lightning Fire Complex |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Showing the 10 most recent of 35 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 | 99.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively High | 94.1 | 24 | 0 | $7.1M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 97 | 293 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 52.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 10.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 3.5 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 1.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 26.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | No Rating | 0 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 22.1 | 1 | 0 | $5K |
| Drought | Relatively High | 95.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 98.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 89.3 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively Moderate | 96.7 | — | — | — |
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
Lake County ranks in the 91st percentile (High) 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 | 91st | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 87th | High |
| Household characteristics | 92nd | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 71st | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 80th | 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 | 100th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 100th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 53.1% | — |
NOAA tracked 22 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 9 in 2016–20 vs 13 in 2021–25 .
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 Lake County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Lake County, California are wildfire, landslide, and earthquake. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Lake County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Lake County has received 35 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is fire (15 declarations).
Has Lake County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Lake County include Boyles Fire (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Lake County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Sonoma County, CA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Glenn County, CA has the lowest (Relatively Low). Lake County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Lake County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Lake 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. Lake County's composite score of 93 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 93% of US counties.