Lake County, FL
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Lake County has experienced 37 federally declared disasters since 1977, most recently Hurricane Milton in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Lake County's highest-rated hazards are strong wind, lightning, and tornado, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 41 storm events in the county over the past decade.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Lake County has been designated in 37 declarations since 1977, covering 7 disaster types including hurricane (17), severe storm (5), freezing (5).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hurricane | Hurricane Milton |
| 2025 | Hurricane | Hurricane Milton |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby |
| 2023 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Nicole |
| 2023 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Idalia |
| 2023 | Hurricane | Hurricane Nicole |
| 2023 | Hurricane | Hurricane Idalia |
| 2022 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Ian |
| 2022 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
Showing the 10 most recent of 37 total declarations since 1977.
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 | 96 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 92.3 | 8 | 0 | $21.3M |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 35.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 61.1 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 79.8 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 97.4 | 7 | 0 | $22K |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 95 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 43.7 | 22 | 0 | $500 |
| Strong Wind | Very High | 98.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 63.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very High | 97.5 | 3 | 2 | $5K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 35 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 66.8 | 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
Lake County ranks in the 62nd percentile (Moderate) 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 | 62nd | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 61st | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 65th | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 71st | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 45th | 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 | 89th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 87th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 46.2% | — |
NOAA tracked 41 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 21 in 2016–20 vs 20 in 2021–25 (-5% — relatively stable).
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, Florida are strong wind, lightning, and tornado. 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 37 federal disaster declarations since 1977, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (17 declarations).
Has Lake County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Lake County include Hurricane Milton (2025), Hurricane Milton (2025), Tropical Storm Debby (2024), Hurricane Debby (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1977.
How does Lake County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Orange County, FL has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Sumter County, FL has the lowest (Relatively Moderate). 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 92 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 92% of US counties.