Editorial

The most disaster-prone counties in America

Los Angeles County, California leads the nation with 88 FEMA disaster declarations on record. These are the 100 U.S. counties with the longest history of federally declared disasters — hurricanes, floods, severe storms, fires, and other events that triggered FEMA aid.

Disaster-prone does not necessarily mean dangerous — it means this county has needed federal help more often than most. Counties in hurricane corridors, flood plains, and wildfire zones appear repeatedly because the same geographic risks produce recurring events. A high declaration count signals a pattern worth understanding, especially for anyone evaluating property, insurance, or emergency preparedness in these areas.

Every county name below links to a full disaster history page with the declaration timeline, hazard breakdown, decade-by-decade trends, and available FEMA spending data.

National ranking

Top 100 counties by FEMA declaration count

#CountyStateDeclarationsTop hazardFirst yearLatest year
1Los Angeles CountyCalifornia88Fire19692025
2Riverside CountyCalifornia65Fire19652024
3San Bernardino CountyCalifornia61Fire19652024
4Ascension ParishLouisiana58Hurricane19652026
5Collier CountyFlorida54Hurricane19652024
6St. Martin ParishLouisiana54Hurricane19652026
7Lafourche ParishLouisiana53Hurricane19652026
8Livingston ParishLouisiana52Hurricane19652026
9Terrebonne ParishLouisiana52Hurricane19652026
10Ventura CountyCalifornia52Fire19652024
11Chelan CountyWashington51Fire19722025
12Oklahoma CountyOklahoma51Fire19742025
13San Diego CountyCalifornia51Fire19652024
14St. Charles ParishLouisiana51Hurricane19652026
15Jefferson ParishLouisiana50Hurricane19652026
16Manatee CountyFlorida50Hurricane19682024
17Assumption ParishLouisiana49Hurricane19652026
18Bay CountyFlorida49Hurricane19752024
19Breathitt CountyKentucky49Severe Storm19672026
20Lawrence CountyKentucky49Severe Storm19672026
21Magoffin CountyKentucky49Severe Storm19672026
22Rapides ParishLouisiana49Hurricane19652026
23St. Mary ParishLouisiana49Hurricane19652026
24St. Tammany ParishLouisiana49Hurricane19652026
25Floyd CountyKentucky48Severe Storm19672026
26Johnson CountyKentucky48Severe Storm19672026
27Sarasota CountyFlorida48Hurricane19682024
28St. Bernard ParishLouisiana48Hurricane19652026
29Tangipahoa ParishLouisiana48Hurricane19652026
30Washoe CountyNevada48Fire19652025
31Clay CountyKentucky47Severe Storm19702026
32Creek CountyOklahoma47Fire19712025
33East Baton Rouge ParishLouisiana47Hurricane19652026
34Gulf CountyFlorida47Hurricane19752024
35Hillsborough CountyFlorida47Hurricane19682024
36Iberville ParishLouisiana47Hurricane19652026
37Logan CountyOklahoma47Severe Storm19742025
38Monroe CountyFlorida47Hurricane19652024
39Owsley CountyKentucky47Severe Storm19702026
40Pike CountyKentucky47Severe Storm19672026
41Franklin CountyFlorida46Hurricane19722024
42Perry CountyKentucky46Severe Storm19672026
43Pointe Coupee ParishLouisiana46Hurricane19652026
44St. John the Baptist ParishLouisiana46Hurricane19652026
45Vermilion ParishLouisiana46Hurricane19712026
46Brevard CountyFlorida45Hurricane19722024
47Catahoula ParishLouisiana45Hurricane19652026
48Lee CountyFlorida45Hurricane19652024
49Lincoln CountyOklahoma45Severe Storm19702025
50Pinellas CountyFlorida45Hurricane19682024
51Plaquemines ParishLouisiana45Hurricane19652026
52St. Landry ParishLouisiana45Hurricane19652026
53Wakulla CountyFlorida45Hurricane19722024
54Caddo CountyOklahoma44Severe Storm19822024
55Dixie CountyFlorida44Hurricane19722024
56McClain CountyOklahoma44Severe Storm19702026
57Ouachita ParishLouisiana44Hurricane19652026
58Pasco CountyFlorida44Hurricane19682024
59Pottawatomie CountyOklahoma44Severe Storm19702025
60St. James ParishLouisiana44Hurricane19652026
61Volusia CountyFlorida44Hurricane19772024
62West Feliciana ParishLouisiana44Hurricane19652026
63Beauregard ParishLouisiana43Hurricane19832026
64Broward CountyFlorida43Hurricane19652024
65Calhoun CountyFlorida43Hurricane19852024
66Cleveland CountyOklahoma43Severe Storm19702025
67Iberia ParishLouisiana43Hurricane19652026
68Knott CountyKentucky43Severe Storm19672026
69Lafayette ParishLouisiana43Hurricane19652026
70Levy CountyFlorida43Hurricane19722024
71Miami-Dade CountyFlorida43Hurricane19652024
72Santa Barbara CountyCalifornia43Fire19692024
73Santa Rosa CountyFlorida43Hurricane19702024
74Acadia ParishLouisiana42Hurricane19652026
75Calcasieu ParishLouisiana42Hurricane19712026
76Charlotte CountyFlorida42Hurricane19682024
77Franklin ParishLouisiana42Hurricane19652026
78Jefferson Davis ParishLouisiana42Hurricane19712026
79Osage CountyOklahoma42Severe Storm19712026
80Polk CountyFlorida42Hurricane19772024
81Walton CountyFlorida42Hurricane19752024
82York CountyMaine42Severe Storm19702024
83Avoyelles ParishLouisiana41Hurricane19652026
84Duval CountyFlorida41Hurricane19682024
85Harris CountyTexas41Flood19732024
86Lee CountyKentucky41Severe Storm19782026
87Liberty CountyFlorida41Hurricane19852024
88Martin CountyFlorida41Hurricane19652024
89Natchitoches ParishLouisiana41Hurricane19772026
90Okaloosa CountyFlorida41Hurricane19702024
91Orange CountyCalifornia41Fire19692023
92Palm Beach CountyFlorida41Hurricane19652024
93Shasta CountyCalifornia41Fire19642023
94Walsh CountyNorth Dakota41Flood19652023
95Washington ParishLouisiana41Hurricane19652026
96Allen ParishLouisiana40Hurricane19792026
97Citrus CountyFlorida40Hurricane19682024
98East Feliciana ParishLouisiana40Hurricane19652026
99Escambia CountyFlorida40Hurricane19702024
100Essex CountyMassachusetts40Severe Storm19722023
By state

See the most-declared counties in each state

Alabama1,731 total declarationsAlaska205 total declarationsArizona250 total declarationsArkansas1,816 total declarationsCalifornia1,650 total declarationsColorado649 total declarationsConnecticut244 total declarationsDelaware52 total declarationsDistrict of Columbia23 total declarationsFlorida2,702 total declarationsGeorgia2,757 total declarationsHawaii99 total declarationsIdaho350 total declarationsIllinois1,311 total declarationsIndiana1,576 total declarationsIowa1,910 total declarationsKansas1,883 total declarationsKentucky3,351 total declarationsLouisiana2,640 total declarationsMaine471 total declarationsMaryland470 total declarationsMassachusetts406 total declarationsMichigan793 total declarationsMinnesota1,541 total declarationsMississippi2,118 total declarationsMissouri2,823 total declarationsMontana586 total declarationsNebraska1,554 total declarationsNevada211 total declarationsNew Hampshire319 total declarationsNew Jersey623 total declarationsNew Mexico411 total declarationsNew York1,521 total declarationsNorth Carolina2,403 total declarationsNorth Dakota1,372 total declarationsOhio1,289 total declarationsOklahoma2,482 total declarationsOregon584 total declarationsPennsylvania1,245 total declarationsRhode Island115 total declarationsSouth Carolina1,175 total declarationsSouth Dakota1,235 total declarationsTennessee2,037 total declarationsTexas5,277 total declarationsUtah240 total declarationsVermont403 total declarationsVirginia2,715 total declarationsWashington944 total declarationsWest Virginia1,330 total declarationsWisconsin866 total declarationsWyoming131 total declarations