Reno County, KS
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Reno County has experienced 24 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Reno County's highest-rated hazards are ice storm, strong wind, and wildfire, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 71% 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. Reno County has been designated in 24 declarations since 1965, covering 6 disaster types including severe storm (14), fire (3), flood (3).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2022 | Fire | Cottonwood Fire Complex |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Severe Storm | Tornadoes And Flooding |
| 2019 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding,Landslides,And Mudslides |
| 2019 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2017 | Fire | Highland Hills Fire |
| 2014 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 24 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 Moderate | 95.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 70.9 | 14 | 1 | $141K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 40.3 | 12 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 93.3 | 9 | 0 | $100K |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively High | 94.3 | 84 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 96.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 86.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 96.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 80.5 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 50.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 51.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 11.5 | 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
Reno 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 | 43rd | Low |
| Household characteristics | 62nd | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 47th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 51st | Moderate |
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 | 84th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 88th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 32.9% | — |
NOAA tracked 106 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 82 in 2016–20 vs 24 in 2021–25 (-71% — frequency decreasing).
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 Reno County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Reno County, Kansas are ice storm, strong wind, and wildfire. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Reno County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Reno County has received 24 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (14 declarations).
Has Reno County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Reno County include Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2025), Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Reno County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Sedgwick County, KS has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Stafford County, KS has the lowest (Very Low). Reno County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Reno County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Reno 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. Reno County's composite score of 80 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 80% of US counties.