Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Elko County, NV

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
32007
Release:
2026-10
Data as of:
2026-09-30
Storm Events data through:
2026-06-30

Hazard Plain is an independent product built from public federal data. It is not a FEMA document and is not reviewed or endorsed by FEMA or any state agency.

Hazard Plain release 2026-10, as of 2026-09-30.

Summary

Plan status as of 2026-09-30: Approved, expires 2026-10-12. Plan: Elko County (FEMA plan 106268), approved 2021-10-13.

Since the plan was approved on 2021-10-13: no new hazard declaration and 258 NOAA Storm Events records; details under "What changed since your last plan".

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Wildfire ($61,636,633 a year), Inland Flooding ($8,028,012) and Earthquake ($2,708,139).

The tables that follow are organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B (B1-a to B2-c); each heading says which item its tables support.

Plan clock

Status:
Approved, expires 2026-10-12
Plan:
Elko County (FEMA plan 106268)
Approved:
2021-10-13
Days to expiry:
12
Update underway:
none recorded in FEMA's plan tracker

What changed since your last plan (approved 2021-10-13)

New federal declarations:
none
Storm Events records since approval:
258 records (data through 2026-06-30)
Repetitive loss now:
FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 0
Repeat-flood change:
this release sets the baseline count.

Sources: 1, 2, 4, 6 (numbered list at the end)

Plan status for every jurisdiction listed in this county

Source: 1

JurisdictionTypeStatusPlanApprovedExpiresDays to expirynegative = days since expiryUpdate underwayNotes
Elko CountyCountyApproved, expires 2026-10-12Elko County (FEMA plan 106268)2021-10-132026-10-1212
Carlin cityCityPlan 106268 approved 2021-10-13, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleElko County (FEMA plan 106268), pending adoption here2021-10-13 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2026-10-12 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Elko cityCityPlan 106268 approved 2021-10-13, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleElko County (FEMA plan 106268), pending adoption here2021-10-13 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2026-10-12 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
Wells cityCityPlan 106268 approved 2021-10-13, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleElko County (FEMA plan 106268), pending adoption here2021-10-13 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2026-10-12 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.
West Wendover cityCityPlan 106268 approved 2021-10-13, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleElko County (FEMA plan 106268), pending adoption here2021-10-13 by FEMA; not yet adopted here2026-10-12 once adoptedFEMA tracker shows a plan approvable pending adoptionNot yet eligible: adopt the approved plan.

State plan status and tribal plans in this state: see the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-a: hazard identification

Hazards NRI does not cover (local data needed)

  • dam failure (incl. upstream dams)
  • levee failure
  • flash flood as its own subtype
  • ice jams
  • debris flows
  • erosion (riverine and coastal)
  • land subsidence and sinkholes
  • expansive soils

The 18 National Risk Index hazards, ranked by expected annual loss (EAL)

Sources: 5, 6

Rank by EALHazardNRI risk ratingEAL ratingEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL total (see note)modeled dollars per yearStorm Events records, 1996 to 2026-06-30countWhy this hazard can be left outNRI Not Applicable, no declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996Storm Events coverage note
1WildfireRelatively HighRelatively High$58,812,998$7,336$2,816,299$61,636,6338
2Inland FloodingRelatively LowRelatively Low$7,906,584$2,449$118,979$8,028,01276
3EarthquakeRelatively LowRelatively Low$2,207,649n/a$500,490$2,708,139Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
4Heat WaveRelatively LowRelatively Low$133$6,072$510,238$516,4430No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
5AvalancheRelatively ModerateRelatively Low$26n/a$502,333$502,3593
6Winter WeatherRelatively HighRelatively High$36,125under $1$318,537$354,662229
7Cold WaveVery LowRelatively Low$866$9,686$267,705$278,2572Includes 2 Frost/Freeze records (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition; counted in this table and in B1-d, not in the B1-e descriptor).
8LightningRelatively LowRelatively Low$11,515n/a$251,324$262,8381
9Strong WindRelatively LowRelatively Low$79,128$354$88,075$167,557372Includes 216 High Wind and 2 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
10HailVery LowVery Low$73,824$1,865$2,948$78,63748
11DroughtRelatively LowRelatively Lown/a$64,358n/a$64,3580Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
12LandslideVery LowVery Low$733n/a$1,553$2,2866
13TornadoVery LowVery Low$1,266$314$275$1,85512
14Volcanic ActivityVery LowVery Lowunder $1n/aunder $1under $10No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
HurricaneNot ApplicableNot Applicable0NRI rates hurricane Not Applicable for this county, and no counted federal declaration for this county names it (EM-3243-NV names it but is not counted as a local occurrence; see B1-d).No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).

Total = buildings + agriculture + population equivalence; FEMA values each expected death (or 10 injuries) at $13.7 million (2024 dollars).

NRI risk rating combines expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience; EAL rating rates expected annual loss alone. Both compare this county with all U.S. counties.

Local data needed: state and local volcanic activity records (Storm Events records this hazard only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: coastal flooding, ice storm and tsunami. That is the evidence for leaving them out of the plan.

The state hazard mitigation plan also lists hazards for this county; FEMA asks the plan to explain any hazard it leaves out.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-b: hazard location

Affects the whole county (national data give no location within it): Cold Wave, Drought, Hail, Heat Wave, Lightning, Strong Wind and Winter Weather.

Inland Flooding: The FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) is the required location source for flooding. See the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (https://msc.fema.gov) for this county.

Hazards that vary within the county: highest-rated census tracts

Source: 5

HazardHighest-rated census tractsNRI risk rating, score 0 to 100
Avalanchetract 9514.04 (Relatively Low, 79.0); tract 9516 (Relatively Low, 78.4); tract 9512.02 (Relatively Low, 77.4)
Earthquaketract 9502 (Relatively Moderate, 84.4); tract 9514.04 (Relatively Moderate, 83.6); tract 9513 (Relatively Moderate, 82.6)
Hurricaneno tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Landslidetract 9517 (Relatively Low, 93.4); tract 9507.02 (Relatively Low, 89.1); tract 9502 (Relatively Low, 86.8)
Tornadotract 9517 (Very Low, 2.8); tract 9502 (Very Low, 1.4); tract 9507.02 (Very Low, 1.2)
Volcanic Activitytract 9517 (Very Low, 40.3)
Wildfiretract 9512.02 (Very High, 100.0); tract 9514.04 (Very High, 100.0); tract 9512.01 (Very High, 99.9)

Up to 3 census tracts per hazard, highest National Risk Index rating first, then highest score; a tract number is the Census tract number (for example 9514.04 is Census Tract 9514.04). FEMA's Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool maps the National Risk Index for every tract: https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/resilience-analysis-and-planning-tool

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-c: hazard extent

Extent: scale, observed range and worst recorded event per hazard

Sources: 6, 7

HazardScaleRecordscount and yearsObserved rangeWorst recorded eventMost damaging (when different)How it applies to jurisdictionsNote
Avalanchenone (count and damage only)3 records, 2018 to 2021 (3 zone-level)No damage reported in 3 records.Countywide (zone-level records).
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill0
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage2 records, 2008 to 2010 (2 zone-level)No crop damage reported in 2 records.Countywide (zone-level records).
DroughtU.S. Drought Monitor scale (D0 to D4)0Storm Events enters a drought at D2 or worse east of the Rockies and D3 or worse from the Rockies west (NWS Instruction 10-1605); NRI drought counts D3 and D4 only.
EarthquakeModified Mercalli (local data)0Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hailhail size (inches)55 records, 1961 to 20230.5 in to 1.75 in (median 0.88 in); 55 with a recorded value1.75 in hail, 2018-05-16; same size also recorded on 1999-08-10Hail, 2018-05-26, $5,000,000 property; crops not reported (2018 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Elko city (6 records), Carlin city (1 record), Wells city (1 record), West Wendover city (1 record).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)0
Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Tropical DepressionSaffir-Simpson0Storm Events files every zone of a storm's episode under the storm's type; flooding from the storm is filed as Flood or Flash Flood records.
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)76 records, 1996 to 2024 (2 zone-level)Flood, 2017-02-07, $3,000,000 property; $0 crops (2017 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Elko city (11 records), West Wendover city (3 records), Wells city (2 records), Carlin city (1 record). Zone-level records (2) apply countywide.Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Storm Events damage is often $0 or blank for floods, major ones included; FEMA Public Assistance by declaration (B1-d) shows which floods cost the most.
Debris Flownone (count and damage only)6 records, 2010 to 2023 (1 zone-level)Debris Flow, 2010-06-07, $21,000 property; $0 crops (2010 dollars); NWS zone NVZ034No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan. Zone-level records (1) apply countywide.
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)1 record, 2014Lightning, 2014-08-13, $5,000 property; $0 crops (2014 dollars)No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan.Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties.
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)218 records, 2000 to 2026 (218 zone-level)35 kt (40 mph) to 90 kt (104 mph) (median 56 kt (64 mph)); 218 with a recorded value90 kt (104 mph) measured gust, High Wind, 2025-02-02; NWS zone NVZ031High Wind, 2018-03-02, $3,000,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2018 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)173 records, 1959 to 202643 kt (49 mph) to 82 kt (94 mph) (median 53 kt (61 mph)); 166 with a recorded value82 kt (94 mph), measurement type not recorded, Thunderstorm Wind, 1959-09-14Thunderstorm Wind, 2018-07-21, $3,000,000 property; $0 crops (2018 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Elko city (19 records), West Wendover city (7 records), Carlin city (2 records), Wells city (1 record).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)23 records, 1962 to 2023F/EF0 to F/EF1 (median F/EF0); 19 with a recorded valueF1 tornado, 1979-08-19, 33 yd wide, $250,000 property; crops not recorded (1979 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Elko city (3 records), Wells city (1 record).Before 1996 a tornado is listed once, under the county where it began, with its whole path's rating and length; from 1996 on, each county lists its own segment. Length is not used to rank tornadoes (see Methods).
Volcanic Ash, Volcanic AshfallVolcanic Explosivity Index (local data)0
Wildfireacres burned (local data)8 records, 1998 to 2021 (7 zone-level)Wildfire, 2017-07-17, $800,000 property; $0 crops (2017 dollars); NWS zone NVZ038No event record names a jurisdiction in the plan. Zone-level records (7) apply countywide.
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)229 records, 1999 to 2026 (229 zone-level)Heavy Snow, 2015-11-02, $50,000 property; $0 crops (2015 dollars); NWS zone NVZ038Countywide (zone-level records).

In event narratives only (local data needed): wind chill, temperature, heat index, acres burned and snow depth; any physical measure of avalanche, debris flow, lightning and volcanic ash, volcanic ashfall.

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records from zones that no NWS zone-county file places in this county (mostly before 2020) are not counted here (the Methods page explains the zone matching).

Dollars are nominal (as reported), labeled with the year; not adjusted for inflation.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-d: previous occurrences

Federal declarations for this county: 19 declarations covering 16 separate hazard incidents counted in this packet (declarations for the same incident count once; non-natural and evacuation-only declarations are not counted).

Federal disaster declarations for this county

Sources: 1, 2, 3

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazardCounty Public Assistancefederal share obligated, nominal dollarsNotes
2020-04-042020-01-20DR-4523-NVMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$14,144.16
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3443-NVEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordedsame incident as DR-4523
2017-07-172017-07-17FM-5191-NVFire managementOil Well FireWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2017-03-272017-02-05DR-4307-NVMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, and MudslidesInland Flooding; Landslide; Winter Weather$299,257.43
2011-10-032011-10-03FM-2972-NVFire managementIndian Creek FireWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2007-07-232007-07-21FM-2717-NVFire managementMurphy Fire ComplexWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2006-08-242006-08-23FM-2670-NVFire managementMudd FireWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2006-06-262006-06-26FM-2648-NVFire managementSuzie FireWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2006-02-032005-12-31DR-1629-NVMajor disasterSevere Storms and FloodingInland Flooding$250,265.89
2005-09-132005-08-29EM-3243-NVEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
2005-08-292005-08-28FM-2581-NVFire managementChance FireWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2005-08-222005-08-22FM-2578-NVFire managementVor-McCarty FireWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2005-07-162005-07-16FM-2568-NVFire managementCarlin FireWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2005-07-162005-07-15FM-2567-NVFire managementContact FireWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2005-02-232005-01-06EM-3204-NVEmergencySnowWinter Weather$49,700.96
2005-02-172004-12-29EM-3202-NVEmergencyRecord and/or Near Record SnowWinter Weather$32,735.24
2001-07-052001-07-05FM-2366-NVFire managementNv - Ten Mile Fire - 07/05/2001Wildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2000-01-131999-08-06FM-2356-NVFire managementNv - Spring Creek Fire - 1999Wildfireno Public Assistance recorded
1977-06-111977-06-11EM-3041-NVEmergencyDroughtDroughtno Public Assistance recorded

County Public Assistance: applicants the FEMA record places in this county, including any state agencies FEMA files there; statewide rows are listed on the state page; federal share obligated, nominal dollars.

Statewide declarations

Source: 2

DeclaredIncident beganFEMA numberTypeTitleMapped hazard
1963-02-141963-02-14DR-142-NVMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding
1962-02-221962-02-22DR-121-NVMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding
1956-08-311956-08-31DR-63-NVMajor disasterFloodInland Flooding
1955-12-241955-12-24DR-48-NVMajor disasterFloodInland Flooding
1955-06-211955-06-21DR-36-NVMajor disasterFloodInland Flooding
1954-07-141954-07-14DR-19-NVMajor disasterEarthquakeEarthquake

FEMA recorded these with designated area Statewide and no county, so they are listed on every county page in the state and not counted with county rows. Local data needed: whether each one affected this county.

12 Fire Management declarations (1979-06-11 to 1999-08-25) FEMA filed as Statewide with no county; each names one local fire. Listed on the state page.

Previous occurrences by hazard, with explicit no-event rows

Sources: 2, 6, 7

HazardStorm Events records, all years on file(years in the Period column)Since plan approvalrecordsIn the 12 months before plan approvalrecordsLast 5 yearsrecordsDeclared incidents, all yearsseparate disastersDeclared since approvalseparate disastersPeriodStatement
Avalanche3010001996 to 2026-06-30
Cold Wave2000001996 to 2026-06-30Includes 2 Frost/Freeze records.
Drought0000101996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 1 federal declared incident (see declarations table)
Earthquake000000Storm Events does not record earthquakes; the USGS earthquake catalog is the source.
Hail55303001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Hurricane0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Inland Flooding76747201996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide6505101996 to 2026-06-30
Lightning1000001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind39116515166001955 to 2026-06-30Includes 216 High Wind and 2 Strong Wind records.
Tornado23212001950 to 2026-06-30
Volcanic Activity0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Wildfire80101101996 to 2026-06-30
Winter Weather22976776301996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2025-02-02High Wind90 kt (104 mph) measured gust$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2025 dollars)0, 0NWS zone NVZ031 (N ELKO CNTY), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2021-02-20Avalancheproperty not reported; $0 crops (zone total, 2021 dollars)1, 1NWS zone NVZ034 (RUBY MOUNTAINS/E HUMBOLDT RANGE), zone-levelin the 12 months before plan approvaldeaths or injuries recorded
2019-08-04Wildfire$35,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2019 dollars)0, 2NWS zone NVZ034 (RUBY MOUNTAINS/E HUMBOLDT RANGE), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
2018-08-17Wildfire$0 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2018 dollars)0, 1NWS zone NVZ031 (N ELKO CNTY), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
2018-05-16Hail1.75 in$0 property; $0 crops (2018 dollars)0, 0OASISB1-c worst recorded: Hail
2017-07-17Wildfire$800,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2017 dollars)0, 0NWS zone NVZ038 (SOUTHWESTERN ELKO), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Wildfire
2017-02-07Flood$3,000,000 property; $0 crops (2017 dollars)0, 0SAN JACINTO to OWYHEE ARPTB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
2015-11-02Heavy Snow$50,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2015 dollars)0, 0NWS zone NVZ038 (SOUTHWESTERN ELKO), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleet
2014-08-13Lightning$5,000 property; $0 crops (2014 dollars)0, 0OSINOB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
2010-06-07Debris Flow$21,000 property; $0 crops (zone total, 2010 dollars)0, 0NWS zone NVZ034 (RUBY MOUNTAINS/E HUMBOLDT RANGE), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Debris Flow
1979-08-19TornadoF1, 33 yd wide$250,000 property; crops not recorded (1979 dollars)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Tornado
1959-09-14Thunderstorm Wind82 kt (94 mph), measurement type not recordeddamage not recorded (pre-1996 record)0, 0location not recordedB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (794 rows).

Location is the place NOAA recorded, as written in its data; it need not be a jurisdiction in this plan.

Local data needed: state-declared emergencies, from your state emergency management agency (federal data do not include them).

Tribal and special-area declarations in this state are listed on the state page.

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-e: probability of future events

Probability: FEMA annualized frequency and descriptor per hazard

Sources: 5, 6

HazardFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)unit per rowUnitIn plain termsDescriptorDescriptor basisNRI events or days in its record period (hail, wind and tornado are area-weighted, so can be fractional)NRI periodLocationNote
Avalanche0.0333events per yearabout 1 in 30 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)11994 to 2023 (30 years)see B1-f
Cold Wave0.183event-days per yearabout 0.183 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)3.472005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events cold wave record, 1996 to 2025.
Drought84.6event-days per yearabout 84.6 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)3,6472000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywideNo Storm Events drought record, 1996 to 2025
Earthquake0.00891annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 0.892%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail0.067events per yearabout 1 in 15 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)2.5 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave2.2event-days per yearabout 2.2 days per yearStorm Events event-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)24.92005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywideNo Storm Events heat wave record, 1996 to 2025
Hurricaneevents per year1851 to 2024 (Atlantic); 1949 to 2024 (Pacific)see B1-fNot Applicable in NRI for this county; no descriptor.
Inland Flooding1.82event-days per yearabout 1.82 days per yearLikelyStorm Events event-days in 21 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (70%)511996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide8.01events per year (modeled)about 8.01 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning29.7days per year with a strikeabout 29.7 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind0.241events per yearabout 1 in 4 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)101986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.473events per yearabout 1 in 2 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Volcanic Activity0.0001annual probabilityabout 1 in 10,000 yearsUnlikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Wildfire0.0316annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 3.16%LikelyStorm Events records in 6 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (20%)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Winter Weather21.6event-days per yearabout 21.6 days per yearHighly likelyStorm Events event-days in 27 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (90%)4102005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide

FEMA annualized frequency (modeled) is the National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025) estimate of how often a hazard affects this county in a year; it is not recorded events divided by years, and its unit differs by hazard (events, event-days, or days with a lightning strike per year). For earthquake, wildfire, coastal flooding and tsunami the value is the chance (or number of events) at a location in the county, not across the county, so no "1 in N years" is given and the descriptor comes from Storm Events where it has a record (none for earthquake). The Methods page gives each hazard's method, from FEMA's National Risk Index Technical Documentation v1.20.

Descriptor scale used in this packet (defined per unit)

Sources: 5, 6

UnitDescriptorDefinition
events per yearHighly likely1 or more per year
events per yearLikelyabout once in 1 to 10 years
events per yearPossibleabout once in 10 to 100 years
events per yearUnlikelyless than once in 100 years
annual probabilityLikely10% to under 100% chance in a given year
annual probabilityPossible1% to under 10% chance in a given year
annual probabilityUnlikelyunder 1% chance in a given year
event-days (share of years)Highly likelyevent-days recorded in 90% or more of years
event-days (share of years)Likelyevent-days recorded in 10% to under 90% of years
event-days (share of years)Possibleevent-days recorded in some years but under 10% of years
lightning strike-daysHighly likelycloud-to-ground strikes on 1 or more days per year

Intensity bands: historical frequency (Storm Events)

Source: 6

HazardBandYearsEventscounty-coded recordsYears in periodEvents per yearevents / years
Hail1.00-1.99 in1996 to 202522300.733
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20250300
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 2025141304.7
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20257300.233
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20255300.167
TornadoEF0-11996 to 202511300.367
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20250300
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20251300.0333

The bands show how often events of each severity were recorded in this county, to profile how severe events have been (FEMA's probability item asks for the range of intensities).

Hail smaller than 1 inch is not counted: on 2010-01-05 the National Weather Service raised its severe-hail threshold from 3/4 inch to 1 inch, so smaller reports became less common after 2009 (NWS Service Change Notice 09-52). NRI hail frequency uses a 0.75 inch threshold.

Optional: future conditions. Not a required item in the 2025 FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide; some states ask for it. The federal Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) site gives county exposure to future climate conditions (https://resilience.climate.gov/).

Supports FEMA checklist item B1-f: hazards that vary across jurisdictions

Range of census tract risk within the county

Source: 5

HazardTractsrated of allNRI risk score, 0 to 100Tracts by rating
MinMedianMax
Avalanche8 of 1575.577.079.0Relatively Low 8, Not Applicable 7
Cold Wave15 of 1522.031.941.4Relatively Low 15
Drought7 of 1574.083.792.9Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 5, Very Low 1, No Rating 8
Earthquake15 of 1573.779.884.4Relatively Moderate 10, Relatively Low 5
Hail15 of 1535.345.059.2Relatively Low 14, Very Low 1
Heat Wave15 of 1517.645.869.9Relatively Moderate 6, Relatively Low 9
Hurricane0 of 15Not Applicable 15
Inland Flooding15 of 1514.839.276.0Relatively Moderate 7, Relatively Low 7, Very Low 1
Landslide15 of 1510.262.193.4Relatively Low 6, Very Low 9
Lightning15 of 1535.363.383.3Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 12, Relatively Low 2
Strong Wind15 of 1522.936.875.0Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 14
Tornado15 of 150.30.62.8Very Low 15
Volcanic Activity1 of 1540.340.340.3Very Low 1, No Rating 14
Wildfire15 of 1591.799.9100.0Very High 12, Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 1
Winter Weather15 of 1581.894.298.1Very High 5, Relatively High 10

Drought: Agriculture is all of NRI's expected annual loss for this hazard in the county, so the tract range mostly reflects where crop and livestock value is.

Rated tracts only: No Rating (score 0.0), Not Applicable and Insufficient Data tracts are counted but not used for the minimum, median and maximum.

The score ranks a tract against all U.S. tracts (100 = highest). The rating is FEMA's category for the tract's risk value, computed differently, so the two can disagree.

Frequency data for cold wave, drought, hail, heat wave, lightning, strong wind and winter weather are county-wide or coarse (49 km grid or NWS zone), the same for every jurisdiction; the tract range mostly reflects where buildings and people are (crop and livestock value where a line above names agriculture).

Each jurisdiction (starting figures from federal data)

Sources: 1, 3, 4, 6

JurisdictionTypePlan statusRepetitive lossFMA RL and SRL (44 CFR 77.2); repeat-flood, any definitionPublic Assistance to this jurisdictionFEMA records matched by applicant name; federal share obligated, nominal dollarsEvent records naming this placeall years; since its planNotes
Elko CountyCountyApproved, expires 2026-10-12FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$330,898.290 total; 0 since its planIncludes $14,144.16 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4523-NV).
Carlin cityCityPlan 106268 approved 2021-10-13, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$6,956.804 total; no approved plan
Elko cityCityPlan 106268 approved 2021-10-13, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$140,821.9239 total; no approved plan
Wells cityCityPlan 106268 approved 2021-10-13, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$71,112.715 total; no approved plan
West Wendover cityCityPlan 106268 approved 2021-10-13, pending adoption here; not yet eligibleFMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded11 total; no approved plan

Repetitive-loss counts are for whole NFIP communities, which can extend beyond this county (see the note in B2-c).

County Public Assistance in B1-d also includes applicants filed under the county that are not jurisdictions in this plan (for example state agencies, special districts and nonprofits), so the jurisdiction rows add up to less.

Supports FEMA checklist items B2-a and B2-b: vulnerability and potential impacts

Local data needed

The table below gives county-level starting figures; the plan describes impacts for each jurisdiction and its own assets.

  • Critical facilities and lifelines per hazard
  • A problem statement per jurisdiction per hazard
  • Changes in development in hazard-prone areas since the last approval, or a statement of none (E1-a)
  • Future assets

County-level starter: exposure, expected annual loss and damage since the plan

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7

HazardBuilding exposuremodeled dollarsAgriculture exposuremodeled dollarsPopulation exposedpeopleEAL buildingsmodeled dollars per yearEAL agriculturemodeled dollars per yearCost of expected deaths and injuriesFEMA's dollar value per year, not property damageEAL as % of exposurebuildings; agriculture where notedStorm Events damage since 2021-10-13county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Avalanche$10,939,237n/a10$26n/a$502,3330.000239%
Cold Wave$12,521,988,365$92,943,17353,581$866$9,686$267,705under 0.0001%
Droughtn/a$4,506,263n/an/a$64,358n/a1.43% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$22,302,763,436n/a53,702$2,207,649n/a$500,4900.0099%
Hail$12,521,991,381$92,943,17353,581$73,824$1,865$2,9480.00059%$0
Heat Wave$12,521,988,365$92,943,17353,581$133$6,072$510,238under 0.0001%
HurricaneNot Applicable in NRI for this county
Inland Flooding$12,510,264,876$20,104,9862,243$7,906,584$2,449$118,979n/a (see note)$0NRI counts the full building value of any census block with some flood loss; this is not the value of buildings in the floodplain. Use local FIRM overlays for B2-a/B2-b.
Landslide$277,648,862n/a761$733n/a$1,5530.000264%$5,000
Lightning$12,521,991,381n/a53,581$11,515n/a$251,324under 0.0001%
Strong Wind$12,521,991,381$92,943,17353,581$79,128$354$88,0750.000632%$24,900$0
Tornado$12,521,991,381$92,943,17353,581$1,266$314$275under 0.0001%$20,000
Volcanic Activity$12,521,991,381n/a53,581under $1n/aunder $1under 0.0001%
Wildfire$5,955,283,418$87,591,07128,507$58,812,998$7,336$2,816,2990.988%
Winter Weather$12,521,988,365$92,943,17353,581$36,125under $1$318,5370.000288%$0

Totals since 2021-10-13 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 55 county-coded records, 55 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $49,900; 203 zone-level records, 203 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $0 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: no counted declaration since the plan.

FEMA does not split Public Assistance by hazard. A declaration mapped to several hazards is listed under each of them with its full amount, so the per-hazard column does not add up to the total; the unit total counts each declaration once.

NRI computes earthquake exposure on its own basis, so it exceeds the county building value in B2-a.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-a: vulnerability (county context)

County context

Source: 5

MeasureValue
Population53,581
Building value (total, not at risk)$12,521,991,381
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$92,943,173
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively Moderate
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$69,223,282
Expected annual loss, population equivalence, all hazards (NRI values each statistical life at $13.7M; a modeled value of expected deaths and injuries, not property damage)$5,378,754
Social vulnerability ratingRelatively Low
Community resilience ratingVery Low
NRI versionDecember 2025

FEMA's all-hazard expected annual loss adds buildings, agriculture and population equivalence; this table gives the property part and the population-equivalence part as separate rows.

Social vulnerability: higher means people are more likely to be harmed and slower to recover. Community resilience: lower means the community is less able to recover. High social vulnerability and low resilience both raise the NRI risk rating.

Supports FEMA checklist item B2-c: repetitive loss properties

Repetitive loss in this county, both definitions

Sources: 1, 4

DefinitionPropertiesSevere repetitive lossProperties
Repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0Severe repetitive loss, FMA definition (44 CFR 77.2)0
Repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0Severe repetitive loss, NFIP insurance definition0

The state NFIP coordinator's list, the source FEMA's Handbook names, often uses the NFIP insurance definition (second row).

Repeat-flood properties: county and state-level rows

Sources: 1, 4

ScopeRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
County total0000000
Statewide, no county in FEMA's file0010100

The statewide row counts properties FEMA's file gives with no county in this state; they are listed for reference and are not in this county's counts.

Repeat-flood properties by jurisdiction in the plan (NFIP community)

Sources: 1, 4

JurisdictionNFIP community IDRL, FMApropertiesSRL, FMApropertiesRL, NFIPpropertiesSRL, NFIPpropertiesAny categorypropertiesMitigatedpropertiesCurrently insuredproperties
Elko County3200270000000
Carlin city3200090000000
Elko city3200100000000
Wells city3200240000000
West Wendover city3200370000000

Counts by occupancy group for each jurisdiction are in the Excel file, sheet "B2-c Jurisdictions".

Jurisdiction rows are whole NFIP communities and need not add up to the county total: a community that extends into another county is counted in full on each jurisdiction row, while the county table counts only its part in this county.

County repeat-flood properties by occupancy group: 0 in every occupancy group.

Sources: 1, 4

FMA RL and FMA SRL are the Flood Mitigation Assistance definitions (44 CFR 77.2), the ones the FEMA Local Mitigation Planning Policy Guide cites. NFIP repetitive loss (the FEMA insurance definition) is 2 or more claims over $1,000 in 10 years, and a property can leave that group once it is mitigated. Also shown: NFIP severe repetitive loss, any category, mitigated and currently insured. The Methods page gives the OpenFEMA field details.

Counts are aggregates of FEMA's public NFIP Multiple Loss Properties file (FEMA's data date 2026-08-02; file version 2026-08-04). No property is identified. County assignment is FEMA's geocode.

In this county 0 properties are FMA repetitive loss but not NFIP repetitive loss, and 0 properties are NFIP repetitive loss but not FMA repetitive loss.

Exact counts; no count suppression.

Sources

Tables cite these sources by number. The full list, for the plan's bibliography (FEMA review item A4-a):

  1. FEMA, OpenFEMA HazardMitigationPlanStatuses v1, version 2026-09-29T134039Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/HazardMitigationPlanStatuses (API)
  2. FEMA, OpenFEMA DisasterDeclarationsSummaries v2, version 2026-09-29T162832Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v2/DisasterDeclarationsSummaries (API)
  3. FEMA, OpenFEMA PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries v1, version 2026-09-29T150754Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/PublicAssistanceFundedProjectsSummaries (API)
  4. FEMA, OpenFEMA NfipMultipleLossProperties v1, version 2026-08-04T164045Z, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/api/open/v1/NfipMultipleLossProperties (API)
  5. FEMA, FEMA National Risk Index 1.20.0 (December 2025), county and census tract tables, version 1.20.0, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_Counties.zip (download, 25 MB), https://www.fema.gov/about/reports-and-data/openfema/nri/v120/NRI_Table_CensusTracts.zip (download, 635 MB)
  6. NOAA NCEI, NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, details files (csvfiles v1.0), version c20260918, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/swdi/stormevents/csvfiles/
  7. NOAA National Weather Service, NWS county-public forecast zones correlation file, version bp03mr20 to bp16ap26 (11 files; newest bp16ap26), pulled 2026-09-30, https://www.weather.gov/gis/ZoneCounty
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2024 Gazetteer, 2020 place by county, CT county-to-cousub crosswalk, version 2024-gazetteer, pulled 2026-09-30, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_cousubs_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_place_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_unsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_elsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_scsd_national.zip, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/codes2020/national_place_by_county2020.txt, https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/reference/ct_change/ct_cou_to_cousub_crosswalk.xlsx (used to match place names and codes; no table prints its values)

What this packet is and what the plan adds

This packet is the federal data for the plan's risk assessment (the summary on page 1 says how it is organized); the plan and FEMA's review decide whether each item is met.

The plan adds what only the community has: local data on assets, critical facilities, development and each jurisdiction's impacts; local hazard history, including state-declared emergencies; the mitigation strategy; and adoption.

How the federal data are built: National Risk Index values are FEMA's model, not counts of events. Storm Events is more complete from 1996; zone-level records are placed by forecast zone, not by location in the county. Public Assistance for a jurisdiction is matched by applicant name. The Methods page gives every rule and the known edge cases.

OpenFEMA disclaimer

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).

Reuse, citation and corrections

Reuse and citation: Hazard Plain text and tables are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/); credit Hazard Plain and the release. The underlying federal data are public domain; OpenFEMA data are also subject to the OpenFEMA terms and conditions.

Cite this: Hazard Plain (2026). Elko County, NV: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 32007). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/nv/32007/ Built from FEMA OpenFEMA, the FEMA National Risk Index and NOAA NCEI Storm Events; source versions in the packet's Sources list.

Corrections: to report an error, name the packet, the table and what your records show. Contact: [email protected]