Ventura County, CA
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Ventura County has experienced 53 federally declared disasters since 1966, most recently Sandy Fire in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Ventura County's highest-rated hazards are wildfire, earthquake, and inland flooding, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 242% 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. Ventura County has been designated in 53 declarations since 1966, covering 8 disaster types including fire (28), flood (10), severe storm (7).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Fire | Sandy Fire |
| 2025 | Fire | Mountain Fire |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2023 | Flood | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| 2020 | Fire | Saddleridge Fire |
| 2020 | Fire | Maria Fire |
| 2020 | Fire | Easy Fire |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
Showing the 10 most recent of 53 total declarations since 1966.
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 | 99.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Very High | 99.3 | 46 | 0 | — |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 60.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 99.7 | 148 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 85.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 42.4 | 2 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 52 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 44.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 1.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 8.6 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 70.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 80.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 98 | 6 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 33.9 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Very Low | 44.6 | — | — | — |
| 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
Ventura County ranks in the 62nd 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 | 62nd | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 59th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 33rd | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 90th | High |
| Housing type & transportation | 63rd | 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 | 94th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 96th | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 13.2% | — |
NOAA tracked 53 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 12 in 2016–20 vs 41 in 2021–25 (+242% — frequency increasing).
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 Ventura County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Ventura County, California are wildfire, earthquake, and inland flooding. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Ventura County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Ventura County has received 53 federal disaster declarations since 1966, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is fire (28 declarations).
Has Ventura County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Ventura County include Sandy Fire (2026), Mountain Fire (2025), Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1966.
How does Ventura County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Los Angeles County, CA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Very High) and Kings County, CA has the lowest (Relatively Moderate). Ventura County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Ventura County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Ventura 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. Ventura County's composite score of 99 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 99% of US counties.