Nevada County, CA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Nevada County has experienced 23 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides in 2023. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Nevada 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 32 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is relatively low (21st 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. Nevada County has been designated in 23 declarations since 1965, covering 6 disaster types including fire (7), severe storm (7), flood (5).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 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, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2021 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2020 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2020 | Fire | Jones Fire |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2018 | Fire | Lobo Fire |
Showing the 10 most recent of 23 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 | 99.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 89.9 | 25 | 0 | $3.7M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 92.1 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 57.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 17.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 49.3 | 2 | 0 | $1K |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 13.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 69.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | No Rating | 0 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 70.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 95.5 | 5 | 0 | $2.1M |
| Avalanche | Relatively High | 89.5 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 58 | — | — | — |
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
Nevada County ranks in the 21st 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 | 21st | Very low |
| Socioeconomic status | 30th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 24th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 47th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 16th | 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 | 99th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 100th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 77.7% | — |
NOAA tracked 32 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 16 in 2016–20 vs 16 in 2021–25 (0% — 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 Nevada County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Nevada 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 Nevada County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Nevada County has received 23 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2023. The most common disaster type on record is fire (7 declarations).
Has Nevada County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
No federal disaster declarations have been recorded for Nevada County since the start of 2024. Its most recent declaration on record is Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides in 2023.
How does Nevada County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Butte County, CA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Sierra County, CA has the lowest (Very Low). Nevada County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Nevada County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Nevada 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. Nevada County's composite score of 90 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 90% of US counties.