Sumter County, FL
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Sumter County has experienced 34 federally declared disasters since 1969, most recently Hurricane Milton in 2025. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Sumter County's highest-rated hazards are hurricane, lightning, and wildfire, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Community vulnerability is relatively low (30th percentile nationally), indicating stronger recovery capacity than most US counties.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Sumter County has been designated in 34 declarations since 1969, covering 7 disaster types including hurricane (17), tropical storm (5), severe storm (4).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hurricane | Hurricane Milton |
| 2025 | Hurricane | Hurricane Milton |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2024 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby |
| 2023 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Nicole |
| 2023 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Idalia |
| 2023 | Hurricane | Hurricane Nicole |
| 2023 | Hurricane | Hurricane Idalia |
Showing the 10 most recent of 34 total declarations since 1969.
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 | 92.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 84.8 | 1 | 0 | $35K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 45.4 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 72.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 91.6 | 2 | 0 | $40K |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 95.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 23 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 90.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 51.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 92.9 | 4 | 0 | $43K |
| Drought | Very Low | 21.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 29.6 | 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
Sumter County ranks in the 30th 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 | 30th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 21st | Very low |
| Household characteristics | 39th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 44th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 47th | 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 | 88th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 86th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 31.0% | — |
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 Sumter County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Sumter County, Florida are hurricane, lightning, and wildfire. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Sumter County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Sumter County has received 34 federal disaster declarations since 1969, including declarations in 2025. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (17 declarations).
Has Sumter County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Sumter County include Hurricane Milton (2025), Hurricane Milton (2025), Tropical Storm Helene (2024), Tropical Storm Debby (2024), Hurricane Helene (2024), Hurricane Debby (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1969.
How does Sumter County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Orange County, FL has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Hernando County, FL has the lowest (Relatively Moderate). Sumter County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Sumter County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Sumter 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. Sumter County's composite score of 88 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 88% of US counties.