Leon County, FL
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Leon County has experienced 36 federally declared disasters since 1973, most recently Tropical Storm Debby in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Leon County's highest-rated hazards are cold wave, tornado, and hurricane, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 256% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is elevated (70th 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. Leon County has been designated in 36 declarations since 1973, covering 7 disaster types including hurricane (19), severe storm (6), tropical storm (4).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| 2024 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby |
| 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 36 total declarations since 1973.
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 | 90 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 91.5 | 74 | 0 | $3.8M |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 23.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 67.4 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 91.9 | 7 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 97.1 | 15 | 2 | $185.2M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 97.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 45.2 | 21 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 91.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 53.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 98.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 74.9 | 8 | 1 | $847K |
| Drought | Very Low | 28.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 62.9 | 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
Leon County ranks in the 70th 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 | 70th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 67th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 10th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 83rd | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 94th | 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 | 79th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 79th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 67.4% | — |
NOAA tracked 123 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 27 in 2016–20 vs 96 in 2021–25 (+256% — frequency increasing).
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 Leon County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Leon County, Florida are cold wave, tornado, and hurricane. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Leon County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Leon County has received 36 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (19 declarations).
Has Leon County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Leon County include Tropical Storm Helene (2024), Tropical Storm Debby (2024), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (2024), Hurricane Helene (2024), Hurricane Debby (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1973.
How does Leon County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Decatur County, GA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Jefferson County, FL has the lowest (Very Low). Leon County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Leon County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Leon 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. Leon County's composite score of 93 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 93% of US counties.