Natural disaster risk in Inyo County, California
California · population 18,979 · FIPS 06027
Overall: relatively low risk
Inyo County has a composite risk score of 79.3 out of 100 — higher than 79% of US counties. It ranks 51 of 58 in California (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are avalanche, heat wave, earthquake.
Drought now: Yes: D1 Moderate Drought, 22 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 55.67% of Inyo County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for 22 weeks in a row.
Drought in Inyo County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 79.3 |
| Expected annual loss About $28.3 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 71 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Very high 83.6 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively low 25.9 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Inyo County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Avalanche | Very high 96 |
| Heat wave | Relatively high 97 |
| Earthquake | Relatively moderate 94 |
| Wildfire | Relatively low 83 |
| Landslide | Relatively low 82 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 61 |
| Winter weather | Relatively low 49 |
| Lightning | Relatively low 33 |
| Volcanic activity | Very low 66 |
| Drought | Very low 23 |
| Cold wave | Very low 2 |
| Tornado | Very low 2 |
| Hail | Very low 1 |
| Strong wind | Very low 1 |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Hurricane | Not applicable |
| Ice storm | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Inyo County
Federal declarations that designated Inyo County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Not since 1 Jan 2024: no FEMA disaster declaration in the records this site read names Inyo County.
All FEMA declarations in California, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
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
What is the natural disaster risk in Inyo County, California?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Inyo County as relatively low, with a score of 79.3 out of 100 (higher than 79% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Inyo County?
The hazards rated highest for Inyo County are avalanche (very high), heat wave (relatively high), earthquake (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Inyo County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Inyo County as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Inyo County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Not since 1 Jan 2024: no FEMA disaster declaration in the records this site read names Inyo County.
Is Inyo County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 55.67% of Inyo County is in D1 Moderate Drought. Some of it has been at D1 or worse for 22 weeks in a row.
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