Okeechobee County, FL
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Okeechobee County has experienced 35 federally declared disasters since 1972, most recently Hurricane Milton in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Okeechobee County's highest-rated hazards are hurricane, strong wind, and wildfire, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Community vulnerability is elevated (96th 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. Okeechobee County has been designated in 35 declarations since 1972, covering 7 disaster types including hurricane (18), fire (5), tropical storm (3).
| 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 | Hurricane | Hurricane Nicole |
| 2022 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Ian |
| 2022 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
Showing the 10 most recent of 35 total declarations since 1972.
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 | 89.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 80.3 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 22.9 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 46.5 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 44.2 | 5 | 0 | $5.8M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 93.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 12.6 | 3 | 0 | $5K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 90.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 57 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 89.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 48.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 23.3 | 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
Okeechobee County ranks in the 96th 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 | 96th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 95th | High |
| Household characteristics | 93rd | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 76th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 89th | 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 | 93rd | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 91st | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 62.9% | — |
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 Okeechobee County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Okeechobee County, Florida are hurricane, strong wind, and wildfire. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Okeechobee County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Okeechobee County has received 35 federal disaster declarations since 1972, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (18 declarations).
Has Okeechobee County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Okeechobee 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 1972.
How does Okeechobee County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, St. Lucie County, FL has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Glades County, FL has the lowest (Relatively Low). Okeechobee County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Okeechobee County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Okeechobee 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. Okeechobee County's composite score of 80 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 80% of US counties.