Siskiyou County, CA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Siskiyou County has experienced 23 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Tropical Storm Hilary in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Siskiyou County's highest-rated hazards are drought, wildfire, and volcanic activity, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 33 storm events in the county over the past decade. Community vulnerability is elevated (79th 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. Siskiyou County has been designated in 23 declarations since 1965, covering 6 disaster types including fire (7), flood (6), severe storm (5).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Hilary |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2022 | Fire | Mill Fire |
| 2021 | Fire | Wildfires |
| 2021 | Fire | Lava Fire |
| 2020 | Fire | Slater Fire |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018 | Fire | Klamathon Fire |
| 2017 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Showing the 10 most recent of 23 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 High | 98.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 90.9 | 7 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 88.2 | 4 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 77.8 | 14 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 1.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 19.8 | 5 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 5.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 74.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 6.6 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 35.3 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively High | 98.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 91.1 | 6 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | 83.2 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Relatively High | 98 | — | — | — |
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
Siskiyou County ranks in the 79th 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 | 79th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 76th | High |
| Household characteristics | 75th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 62nd | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 72nd | 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 | 97th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 98th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 62.7% | — |
NOAA tracked 33 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 16 in 2016–20 vs 17 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 Siskiyou County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Siskiyou County, California are drought, wildfire, and volcanic activity. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Siskiyou County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Siskiyou County has received 23 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is fire (7 declarations).
Has Siskiyou County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Siskiyou County include Tropical Storm Hilary (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Siskiyou County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Del Norte County, CA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Klamath County, OR has the lowest (Relatively Low). Siskiyou County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Siskiyou County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Siskiyou 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. Siskiyou County's composite score of 89 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 89% of US counties.