Pawnee County, OK
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Pawnee County has experienced 36 federally declared disasters since 1975, most recently Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Pawnee County's highest-rated hazards are ice storm, wildfire, and drought, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 72 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. Pawnee County has been designated in 36 declarations since 1975, covering 7 disaster types including severe ice storm (10), severe storm (9), fire (8).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Fire | Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2025 | Fire | Keystone Fire |
| 2025 | Fire | Barn Fire |
| 2025 | Fire | 328 Fire |
| 2023 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
Showing the 10 most recent of 36 total declarations since 1975.
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 Low | 86.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 35.4 | 15 | 0 | $115K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 32.4 | 116 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 73.3 | 34 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 70 | 1 | 0 | $50K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 13.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 69.9 | 22 | 0 | $190K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 60.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 49.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 92.8 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 77.6 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very Low | 12.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 79.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 71.8 | 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
Pawnee County ranks in the 50th 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 | 50th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 46th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 52nd | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 61st | 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 | 95th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 93rd | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 79.3% | — |
NOAA tracked 72 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 37 in 2016–20 vs 35 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 Pawnee County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Pawnee County, Oklahoma are ice storm, wildfire, and drought. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Pawnee County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Pawnee County has received 36 federal disaster declarations since 1975, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is severe ice storm (10 declarations).
Has Pawnee County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Pawnee County include Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds (2025), Keystone Fire (2025), Barn Fire (2025), 328 Fire (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1975.
How does Pawnee County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Payne County, OK has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Noble County, OK has the lowest (Relatively Low). Pawnee County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Pawnee County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Pawnee 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. Pawnee County's composite score of 48 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 48% of US counties.