Sutter County, CA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Sutter County has experienced 20 federally declared disasters since 1965, most recently Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Sutter County's highest-rated hazards are drought, earthquake, and heat wave, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Community vulnerability is elevated (86th 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. Sutter County has been designated in 20 declarations since 1965, covering 8 disaster types including severe storm (7), flood (6), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| 2017 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| 2017 | Dam/Levee Break | Potential Failure Of The Emergency Spillway At Oroville Lake |
| 2006 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, And Landslides |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
Showing the 10 most recent of 20 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 Low | 77.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 71.4 | 13 | 1 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 94.1 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 80.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 14.9 | 1 | 0 | $5K |
| Hurricane | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 9.5 | 4 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Very Low | 6.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 5.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | No Rating | 0 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 49.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Very High | 99.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 47.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Very Low | 59 | — | — | — |
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
Sutter County ranks in the 86th 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 | 86th | High |
| Socioeconomic status | 84th | High |
| Household characteristics | 89th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 90th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 59th | 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 | 79th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 79th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 25.6% | — |
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 Sutter County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Sutter County, California are drought, earthquake, and heat wave. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Sutter County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Sutter County has received 20 federal disaster declarations since 1965, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (7 declarations).
Has Sutter County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Sutter County include Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1965.
How does Sutter County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Sacramento County, CA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and Yuba County, CA has the lowest (Relatively Low). Sutter County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Sutter County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Sutter 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. Sutter County's composite score of 84 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 84% of US counties.