Monroe County, FL
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Monroe County has experienced 47 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Hurricane Milton in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Monroe County's highest-rated hazards are coastal flooding, hurricane, and lightning, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 73% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Monroe County has been designated in 47 declarations since 1965, covering 9 disaster types including hurricane (26), severe storm (6), fire (4).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hurricane | Hurricane Milton |
| 2025 | Hurricane | Hurricane Milton |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2024 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby |
| 2022 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Ian |
| 2022 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2021 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Elsa |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias |
Showing the 10 most recent of 47 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 | Very Low | 61.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 42.9 | 10 | 0 | $32K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very High | 98.8 | 5 | 0 | $100K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 6.4 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 65.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 25.6 | 13 | 0 | $85K |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 98 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 16.8 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 32.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 4.1 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 87.1 | 2 | 0 | $10K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 18 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Insufficient Data | — | — | — | — |
| 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
Monroe County ranks in the 68th 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 | 68th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 52nd | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 31st | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 74th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 93rd | 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 | 98th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 99th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 8.0% | — |
NOAA tracked 30 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 11 in 2016–20 vs 19 in 2021–25 (+73% — 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 Monroe County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Monroe County, Florida are coastal flooding, hurricane, and lightning. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Monroe County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Monroe County has received 47 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (26 declarations).
Has Monroe County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Monroe County include Hurricane Milton (2025), Hurricane Milton (2025), Tropical Storm Helene (2024), Tropical Storm Debby (2024), Hurricane Helene (2024), Hurricane Debby (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Monroe County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Miami-Dade County, FL has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Very High) and Hendry County, FL has the lowest (Relatively Low). Monroe County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Monroe County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Monroe 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. Monroe County's composite score of 92 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 92% of US counties.