Phillips County, KS
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Phillips County has experienced 19 federally declared disasters since 2004, most recently Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Wildfires in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Phillips County's highest-rated hazards are hail, drought, and ice storm, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 74 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. Phillips County has been designated in 19 declarations since 2004, covering 4 disaster types including severe storm (14), snowstorm (2), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Wildfires |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2022 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms And Straight-Line Winds |
| 2022 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Straight Line Winds |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,And Mudslides |
| 2017 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2013 | Snowstorm | Snowstorm |
| 2010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms And Snowstorm |
Showing the 10 most recent of 19 total declarations since 2004.
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 | 58.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very Low | 20 | 6 | 0 | $250K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 18.5 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 29.8 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 56.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively High | 97.2 | 67 | 0 | $2.6M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 75.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 69.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 75.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 23 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 31.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively High | 92.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 21.2 | 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
Phillips County ranks in the 31st percentile (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 | 31st | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 34th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 65th | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 18th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 24th | 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 | 42nd | Relatively Moderate |
| Risk to homes | 44th | Relatively Moderate |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 42.1% | — |
NOAA tracked 74 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 36 in 2016–20 vs 38 in 2021–25 (+6% — 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 Phillips County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Phillips County, Kansas are hail, drought, and ice storm. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Very Low — among the lowest-risk counties in the country.
Has Phillips County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Phillips County has received 19 federal disaster declarations since 2004, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (14 declarations).
Has Phillips County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Phillips County include Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Wildfires (2025), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 2004.
How does Phillips County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Franklin County, NE has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Very Low) and Graham County, KS has the lowest (Very Low). Phillips County is rated Very Low overall.
How is Phillips County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Phillips 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. Phillips County's composite score of 41 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 41% of US counties.