Natural disaster risk in District of Columbia, District of Columbia
District of Columbia · population 688,888 · FIPS 11001
Overall: relatively high risk
District of Columbia has a composite risk score of 97.6 out of 100 — higher than 97% of US counties. It ranks 1 of 1 in District of Columbia (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are strong wind, lightning, winter weather.
Drought now: No, but abnormally dry (D0)
No drought, but abnormally dry. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 100% of District of Columbia is D0 Abnormally Dry and none of it is in drought (D1 to D4). Some of it has been abnormally dry or worse for at least 54 weeks in a row.
Drought in District of Columbia: 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 high 97.6 |
| Expected annual loss About $292.5 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively high 97.6 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively moderate 40.9 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very high 93.3 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in District of Columbia, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Strong wind | Very high 98 |
| Lightning | Very high 96 |
| Winter weather | Very high 96 |
| Heat wave | Relatively high 99 |
| Earthquake | Relatively high 98 |
| Hail | Relatively high 97 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively high 97 |
| Hurricane | Relatively high 96 |
| Cold wave | Relatively high 94 |
| Tornado | Relatively high 90 |
| Coastal flooding | Relatively moderate 74 |
| Ice storm | Relatively moderate 70 |
| Landslide | Relatively low 80 |
| Wildfire | Very low 26 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Drought | No rating |
| Tsunami | Insufficient data |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for District of Columbia
Federal declarations that designated District of Columbia, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. District of Columbia has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3643-DC (Sewer Line Collapse), declared 20 Feb 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EM-3643-DC | Emergency | Sewer Line Collapse | 20 Feb 2026 | No |
All FEMA declarations in District of Columbia, 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 District of Columbia, District of Columbia?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in District of Columbia as relatively high, with a score of 97.6 out of 100 (higher than 97% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in District of Columbia?
The hazards rated highest for District of Columbia are strong wind (very high), lightning (very high), winter weather (very high).
What is the flood risk in District of Columbia?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in District of Columbia as relatively high, and coastal flooding risk as relatively moderate. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has District of Columbia had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. District of Columbia has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3643-DC (Sewer Line Collapse), declared 20 Feb 2026.
Is District of Columbia in a drought?
No drought, but abnormally dry. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 100% of District of Columbia is D0 Abnormally Dry and none of it is in drought (D1 to D4). Some of it has been abnormally dry or worse for at least 54 weeks in a row.
Every district in District of Columbia, ranked · All states · Disasters near me