Natural disaster risk in Hot Springs County, Wyoming
Wyoming · population 4,609 · FIPS 56017
Overall: very low risk
Hot Springs County has a composite risk score of 16.1 out of 100 — higher than 16% of US counties. It ranks 21 of 23 in Wyoming (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are landslide, avalanche, wildfire.
Drought now: Yes: D3 Extreme Drought, 18 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 88.79% of Hot Springs County is in D3 Extreme Drought. Some of it has been at D3 or worse for 18 weeks in a row. In all, 99.99% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
Drought in Hot Springs 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 16.1 |
| Expected annual loss About $4.7 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Very low 11.5 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively high 73.3 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Very low 13.1 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Hot Springs County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively moderate 95 |
| Avalanche | Relatively low 77 |
| Wildfire | Relatively low 66 |
| Earthquake | Relatively low 60 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 39 |
| Lightning | Relatively low 38 |
| Cold wave | Relatively low 28 |
| Hail | Very low 18 |
| Drought | Very low 16 |
| Volcanic activity | Very low 13 |
| Tornado | Very low 11 |
| Heat wave | Very low 5 |
| Strong wind | Very low 5 |
| Ice storm | Very low 4 |
| Winter weather | Very low 2 |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Hurricane | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Hot Springs County
Federal declarations that designated Hot Springs County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Hot Springs County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is FM-5608-WY (Red Canyon Fire), declared 15 Aug 2025.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FM-5608-WY | Fire management | Red Canyon Fire | 15 Aug 2025 | No |
All FEMA declarations in Wyoming, 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 Hot Springs County, Wyoming?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Hot Springs County as very low, with a score of 16.1 out of 100 (higher than 16% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Hot Springs County?
The hazards rated highest for Hot Springs County are landslide (relatively moderate), avalanche (relatively low), wildfire (relatively low).
What is the flood risk in Hot Springs County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Hot Springs County as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Hot Springs County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Hot Springs County has been named in 1 FEMA declaration since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is FM-5608-WY (Red Canyon Fire), declared 15 Aug 2025.
Is Hot Springs County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 88.79% of Hot Springs County is in D3 Extreme Drought. Some of it has been at D3 or worse for 18 weeks in a row. In all, 99.99% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
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