Natural disaster risk in Kootenai County, Idaho
Idaho · population 171,251 · FIPS 16055
Overall: relatively low risk
Kootenai County has a composite risk score of 79.0 out of 100 — higher than 79% of US counties. It ranks 3 of 44 in Idaho (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are winter weather, ice storm, landslide.
Drought now: Yes: D3 Extreme Drought, 7 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 18.66% of Kootenai County is in D3 Extreme Drought. Some of it has been at D3 or worse for 7 weeks in a row. In all, 100% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
Drought in Kootenai 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 |
| Expected annual loss About $45.4 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 82.1 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively low 23.4 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively moderate 46.6 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Kootenai County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Winter weather | Relatively high 92 |
| Ice storm | Relatively high 84 |
| Landslide | Relatively moderate 95 |
| Cold wave | Relatively moderate 88 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively moderate 86 |
| Heat wave | Relatively moderate 83 |
| Earthquake | Relatively low 79 |
| Wildfire | Relatively low 79 |
| Strong wind | Relatively low 38 |
| Lightning | Relatively low 24 |
| Avalanche | Very low 53 |
| Tornado | Very low 22 |
| Hail | Very low 17 |
| Drought | Very low 14 |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Hurricane | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Kootenai County
Federal declarations that designated Kootenai County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Kootenai County has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4917-ID (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), declared 30 Jun 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4917-ID | Major disaster | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides | 30 Jun 2026 | No |
| DR-4905-ID | Major disaster | Straight-Line Winds | 7 Apr 2026 | No |
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 Kootenai County, Idaho?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Kootenai County as relatively low, with a score of 79.0 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 Kootenai County?
The hazards rated highest for Kootenai County are winter weather (relatively high), ice storm (relatively high), landslide (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Kootenai County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Kootenai County as relatively moderate. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Kootenai County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Kootenai County has been named in 2 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4917-ID (Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), declared 30 Jun 2026.
Is Kootenai County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 18.66% of Kootenai County is in D3 Extreme Drought. Some of it has been at D3 or worse for 7 weeks in a row. In all, 100% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
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