Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Forbes Advisor.
Natural disasters are occurring more frequently and with more intensity. Over the past five years, the U.S. has experienced an average of 17.8 natural disasters each year.
That included 18 climate disaster events in 2022, which caused a total of $169.8 billion in damage, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
Some areas are more vulnerable to these disasters than other areas. For example, states with natural disasters tend to be coastal states.
To determine which counties are most at risk for natural disasters, Forbes Advisor uncovered the number of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster declarations over the past decade for the 200 most populated counties.
Here are the top counties most at risk for natural disasters, with tied rankings marked as “(Tie).”
1. Los Angeles County, California
- Total Disaster Declarations: 22
- Disaster Type: Fire
- Disaster Declarations: 20
2. East Baton Rouge Parish (Tie), Louisiana
- Total Disaster Declarations: 17
- Disaster Type: Hurricane
- Disaster Declarations: 10
2. Orleans Parish (Tie), Louisiana
- Total Disaster Declarations: 17
- Disaster Type: Hurricane
- Disaster Declarations: 11
4. Riverside County (Tie), California
- Total Disaster Declarations: 16
- Disaster Type: Fire
- Disaster Declarations: 13
4. Jefferson Parish (Tie), Louisiana
- Total Disaster Declarations: 16
- Disaster Type: Hurricane
- Disaster Declarations: 11
6. Washoe County (Tie), Nevada
- Total Disaster Declarations: 14
- Disaster Type: Fire
- Disaster Declarations: 12
6. Sonoma County (Tie), California
- Total Disaster Declarations: 14
- Disaster Type: Fire
- Disaster Declarations: 10
8. Charleston County, South Carolina
- Total Disaster Declarations: 13
- Disaster Type: Hurricane
- Disaster Declarations: 10
9. Duval County (Tie), Florida
- Total Disaster Declarations: 12
- Disaster Type: Hurricane
- Disaster Declarations: 10
9. Ventura County (Tie), California
- Total Disaster Declarations: 12
- Disaster Type: Fire
- Disaster Declarations: 11
9. Greenville County (Tie), South Carolina
- Total Disaster Declarations: 12
- Disaster Type: Hurricane
- Disaster Declarations: 7
9. Manatee County (Tie), Florida
- Total Disaster Declarations: 12
- Disaster Type: Hurricane
- Disaster Declarations: 10
Methodology
To determine which counties are most at risk for natural disasters, Forbes Advisor analyzed FEMA disaster declarations between January 2013 and January 2023 for the 200 most populated counties and equivalent entities (including parishes, boroughs, census areas and independent cities).
- Total Disaster Declarations: This is the total number of FEMA emergency declarations issued between January 2013 and January 2023 (excluding biological disasters).
- Disaster Declarations: This is the number of emergency declarations issued between January 2013 and January 2023 for the disaster type that most commonly occurs in the county.
County population estimates come from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2021.
