Natural disaster risk in Alaska, by county
All 30 boroughs and census areas in Alaska, ranked by FEMA's National Risk Index composite risk score, with each one's highest-rated hazard. Other states
At a glance
Highest overall risk: Anchorage Municipality (relatively high, score 97.4). Lowest: Wrangell City and Borough (very low, score 0.1).
Top hazards in Alaska
| Hazard | Boroughs and census areas rated relatively high or very high | Average score |
|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | 10 of 30 | 77.2 |
| Winter weather | 7 of 30 | 53.9 |
| Cold wave | 7 of 30 | 44.9 |
| Landslide | 4 of 30 | 84.2 |
| Earthquake | 3 of 30 | 68.6 |
All boroughs and census areas, highest risk first
| # | Borough or census area | Overall risk | Highest-rated hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anchorage Municipality | Relatively high 97.4 | Winter weather (very high) |
| 2 | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | Relatively moderate 93.3 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 3 | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Relatively moderate 93 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 4 | Fairbanks North Star Borough | Relatively moderate 88.5 | Winter weather (very high) |
| 5 | Aleutians West Census Area | Relatively low 67.3 | Volcanic activity (relatively high) |
| 6 | Kodiak Island Borough | Relatively low 65.1 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 7 | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | Relatively low 61.5 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 8 | Kusilvak Census Area | Relatively low 57.9 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 9 | Southeast Fairbanks Census Area | Relatively low 57 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 10 | Northwest Arctic Borough | Relatively low 54.6 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 11 | Bethel Census Area | Relatively low 44.3 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 12 | Copper River Census Area | Very low 39.9 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 13 | Dillingham Census Area | Very low 35.7 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 14 | Nome Census Area | Very low 34.1 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 15 | Denali Borough | Very low 28.3 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 16 | Sitka City and Borough | Very low 23.8 | Landslide (relatively high) |
| 17 | Aleutians East Borough | Very low 21.3 | Volcanic activity (relatively high) |
| 18 | Chugach Census Area | Very low 19.6 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 19 | Petersburg Borough | Very low 15.4 | Landslide (relatively high) |
| 20 | North Slope Borough | Very low 14.8 | Cold wave (relatively moderate) |
| 21 | Hoonah-Angoon Census Area | Very low 14.3 | Avalanche (very high) |
| 22 | Juneau City and Borough | Very low 11.5 | Winter weather (relatively high) |
| 23 | Lake and Peninsula Borough | Very low 6.3 | Volcanic activity (relatively low) |
| 24 | Haines Borough | Very low 4.3 | Avalanche (relatively high) |
| 25 | Yakutat City and Borough | Very low 3 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 26 | Ketchikan Gateway Borough | Very low 1.7 | Avalanche (relatively moderate) |
| 27 | Bristol Bay Borough | Very low 1.2 | Earthquake (relatively low) |
| 28 | Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | Very low 1 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 29 | Skagway Municipality | Very low 0.5 | Landslide (relatively moderate) |
| 30 | Wrangell City and Borough | Very low 0.1 | Landslide (relatively low) |
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
Which borough or census area in Alaska has the highest natural disaster risk?
Anchorage Municipality has the highest composite risk score in Alaska in FEMA's National Risk Index: 97.4, rated relatively high.
Which borough or census area in Alaska has the lowest natural disaster risk?
Wrangell City and Borough has the lowest composite risk score in Alaska: 0.1, rated very low. A low score means lower modelled risk compared with other US boroughs and census areas, not no risk.
What natural disasters is Alaska most at risk from?
Across Alaska, the hazards rated highest in the most boroughs and census areas are avalanche, winter weather, cold wave, according to FEMA's National Risk Index. Each borough or census area page lists all 18 hazards.
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