Santa Rosa County, FL
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Santa Rosa County has experienced 43 federally declared disasters since 1970, most recently Tropical Storm Debby in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Santa Rosa County's highest-rated hazards are hurricane, lightning, and tornado, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 45% 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. Santa Rosa County has been designated in 43 declarations since 1970, covering 6 disaster types including hurricane (24), severe storm (7), flood (5).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| 2024 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby |
| 2022 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Ian |
| 2022 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Fred |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
Showing the 10 most recent of 43 total declarations since 1970.
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 | 81.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 73.7 | 31 | 0 | $510K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 70.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 51 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 86.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 89.6 | 12 | 0 | $95K |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 97.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 37.4 | 13 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 29.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 37.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 21.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 66.9 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 95.3 | 41 | 0 | $509K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 44.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 32.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Insufficient Data | — | — | — | — |
| 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
Santa Rosa County ranks in the 32nd 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 | 32nd | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 34th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 19th | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 53rd | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 44th | 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 | 80th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 78th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 56.4% | — |
NOAA tracked 96 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 62 in 2016–20 vs 34 in 2021–25 (-45% — 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 Santa Rosa County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Santa Rosa County, Florida are hurricane, lightning, and tornado. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Santa Rosa County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Santa Rosa County has received 43 federal disaster declarations since 1970, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (24 declarations).
Has Santa Rosa County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Santa Rosa County include Tropical Storm Helene (2024), Tropical Storm Debby (2024), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes (2024), Hurricane Helene (2024), Hurricane Debby (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1970.
How does Santa Rosa County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Baldwin County, AL has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Covington County, AL has the lowest (Relatively Moderate). Santa Rosa County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Santa Rosa County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Santa Rosa 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. Santa Rosa County's composite score of 89 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 89% of US counties.