Natural disaster risk in Jerome County, Idaho
Idaho · population 24,208 · FIPS 16053
Overall: very low risk
Jerome County has a composite risk score of 21.5 out of 100 — higher than 21% of US counties. It ranks 31 of 44 in Idaho (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are winter weather, wildfire, heat wave.
Drought now: Yes: D3 Extreme Drought, 22 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 100% of Jerome County is in D3 Extreme Drought. Some of it has been at D3 or worse for 22 weeks in a row.
Drought in Jerome 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. |
Very low 21.5 |
| Expected annual loss About $5.8 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 16.3 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively high 68.9 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very low 3.1 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Jerome County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Winter weather | Relatively high 86 |
| Wildfire | Relatively moderate 90 |
| Heat wave | Relatively low 72 |
| Ice storm | Relatively low 36 |
| Cold wave | Relatively low 28 |
| Lightning | Relatively low 28 |
| Strong wind | Relatively low 19 |
| Earthquake | Very low 58 |
| Volcanic activity | Very low 45 |
| Avalanche | Very low 34 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Very low 31 |
| Drought | Very low 24 |
| Landslide | Very low 10 |
| Tornado | Very low 8 |
| Hail | Very low 7 |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Hurricane | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Jerome County
Federal declarations that designated Jerome 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 Jerome County.
All FEMA declarations in Idaho, 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 Jerome County, Idaho?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Jerome County as very low, with a score of 21.5 out of 100 (higher than 21% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Jerome County?
The hazards rated highest for Jerome County are winter weather (relatively high), wildfire (relatively moderate), heat wave (relatively low).
What is the flood risk in Jerome County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Jerome County as very low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Jerome County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Not since 1 Jan 2024: no FEMA disaster declaration in the records this site read names Jerome County.
Is Jerome County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 100% of Jerome County is in D3 Extreme Drought. Some of it has been at D3 or worse for 22 weeks in a row.
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