Most common disaster by US state
Across the 50 US states and DC, Severe Storm is the most common leading hazard — it is the #1 federally declared disaster type in 21 of them. The leading hazard is strongly regional: wildfires dominate the West and Plains, hurricanes lead along stretches of the East and Gulf coasts, and severe storms or flooding lead elsewhere. The table below shows each state's most common incident type, its count, and its share of that state's total declarations.
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2. Data as of June 2026.
Leading hazard, summarized
| Leading hazard | States where it ranks #1 |
|---|---|
| Severe Storm | 21 |
| Fire | 16 |
| Hurricane | 7 |
| Flood | 7 |
Most common hazard, state by state
| State | Most common hazard | Declarations | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Severe Storm | 45 | 44% |
| Alaska | Fire | 29 | 31% |
| Arizona | Fire | 82 | 68% |
| Arkansas | Severe Storm | 33 | 38% |
| California | Fire | 297 | 75% |
| Colorado | Fire | 82 | 76% |
| Connecticut | Hurricane | 14 | 33% |
| Delaware | Hurricane | 10 | 38% |
| District of Columbia | Severe Storm | 9 | 38% |
| Florida | Fire | 69 | 37% |
| Georgia | Severe Storm | 17 | 21% |
| Hawaii | Fire | 28 | 39% |
| Idaho | Fire | 25 | 42% |
| Illinois | Severe Storm | 26 | 38% |
| Indiana | Severe Storm | 25 | 46% |
| Iowa | Severe Storm | 33 | 42% |
| Kansas | Severe Storm | 47 | 51% |
| Kentucky | Severe Storm | 40 | 41% |
| Louisiana | Hurricane | 38 | 35% |
| Maine | Severe Storm | 25 | 35% |
| Maryland | Flood | 10 | 26% |
| Massachusetts | Hurricane | 12 | 21% |
| Michigan | Flood | 13 | 29% |
| Minnesota | Flood | 31 | 38% |
| Mississippi | Severe Storm | 42 | 43% |
| Missouri | Severe Storm | 45 | 53% |
| Montana | Fire | 67 | 60% |
| Nebraska | Severe Storm | 38 | 44% |
| Nevada | Fire | 84 | 76% |
| New Hampshire | Severe Storm | 27 | 43% |
| New Jersey | Severe Storm | 19 | 32% |
| New Mexico | Fire | 75 | 60% |
| New York | Severe Storm | 31 | 26% |
| North Carolina | Hurricane | 34 | 40% |
| North Dakota | Flood | 33 | 44% |
| Ohio | Severe Storm | 24 | 40% |
| Oklahoma | Fire | 138 | 53% |
| Oregon | Fire | 121 | 73% |
| Pennsylvania | Flood | 26 | 41% |
| Rhode Island | Hurricane | 10 | 32% |
| South Carolina | Hurricane | 21 | 41% |
| South Dakota | Severe Storm | 32 | 33% |
| Tennessee | Severe Storm | 45 | 46% |
| Texas | Fire | 270 | 70% |
| Utah | Fire | 37 | 66% |
| Vermont | Severe Storm | 29 | 47% |
| Virginia | Severe Storm | 20 | 26% |
| Washington | Fire | 146 | 68% |
| West Virginia | Flood | 35 | 42% |
| Wisconsin | Flood | 20 | 36% |
| Wyoming | Fire | 28 | 62% |
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2. Data as of June 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common natural disaster in the US?
By the number of states where it ranks first, Severe Storm is the most common leading hazard — it is the #1 federally declared disaster type in 21 states/DC. Across the dataset, fire, severe storms and flooding dominate the national totals.
Does every state have the same most-common hazard?
No. The leading hazard varies widely by region: wildfires dominate much of the West and Plains, hurricanes lead along parts of the East Coast, and severe storms or flooding lead elsewhere. This table shows each state's #1 incident type.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by FEMA. "Fire" includes Fire Management Assistance declarations for wildfire response. Factual public-data summary for general information only.
Last updated: 2026-06-18