Hazard Plain Automated baseline

Inyo County, CA

Risk-assessment baseline packet

County FIPS:
06027
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: Expired on 2022-12-17. Plan: Inyo County (FEMA plan 102703), approved 2017-12-18.

Since the plan was approved on 2017-12-18: 4 new hazard declarations (3 incidents): DR-4683-CA (Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), EM-3592-CA (Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), DR-4699-CA (Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), DR-4750-CA (Tropical Storm Hilary); also 2 COVID-19 declarations (not counted).

NOAA Storm Events records since that date: 306 records (data through 2026-06-30).

Highest expected annual loss (FEMA National Risk Index, modeled total; see B1-a): Heat Wave ($9,388,985 a year), Earthquake ($8,450,204) and Inland Flooding ($6,596,972).

Repetitive-loss flood properties now: FMA RL 0, SRL 0 (44 CFR 77.2); any definition: 0.

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:
Expired on 2022-12-17
Plan:
Inyo County (FEMA plan 102703)
Approved:
2017-12-18
Days since expiry:
1,383
Update underway:
none recorded in FEMA's plan tracker

Until a new plan is approved, FEMA mitigation project grants (HMGP, FMA) need a FEMA exception (44 CFR 201.6(a)(3)).

What changed since your last plan (approved 2017-12-18)

New federal declarations:
4 new hazard declarations (3 incidents): DR-4683-CA (Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), EM-3592-CA (Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), DR-4699-CA (Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides), DR-4750-CA (Tropical Storm Hilary); also 2 COVID-19 declarations (not counted)
Storm Events records since approval:
306 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 expiry
Inyo CountyCountyExpired on 2022-12-17Inyo County (FEMA plan 102703)2017-12-182022-12-17-1,383
Bishop cityCityExpired on 2022-12-17Inyo County (FEMA plan 102703)2017-12-182022-12-17-1,383

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 2026-06-30countStorm Events coverage note
1Heat WaveRelatively HighRelatively High$984$2,757$9,385,244$9,388,98563
2EarthquakeRelatively ModerateRelatively Moderate$6,210,721n/a$2,239,483$8,450,204Storm Events does not record earthquakes.
3Inland FloodingRelatively LowRelatively Low$6,308,470$7,368$281,134$6,596,972255
4AvalancheVery HighRelatively High$16,462n/a$3,272,778$3,289,2409
5WildfireRelatively LowRelatively Low$401,777$70$27,286$429,1336
6LightningRelatively LowRelatively Low$9,779n/a$78,132$87,9111
7Winter WeatherRelatively LowRelatively Low$723under $1$43,173$43,897102
8LandslideRelatively LowRelatively Low$9,537n/a$6,273$15,8100Declared 7 times; no Storm Events record of this type.
9DroughtVery LowVery Lown/a$6,279n/a$6,2790Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
10Strong WindVery LowVery Low$3,443$16$2,686$6,145266Includes 218 High Wind and 24 Strong Wind records (NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition).
11TornadoVery LowVery Low$3,209$8$1,195$4,4122
12HailVery LowVery Low$539$152$397$1,0886
13Volcanic ActivityVery LowVery Low$20n/a$29$480No recorded events in Storm Events since 1996 (data through 2026-06-30).
14Cold WaveVery LowVery Lowunder $1under $1under $1under $13
Coastal FloodingNot ApplicableNot Applicable0Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
HurricaneNot ApplicableNot Applicable0Declared 1 time; no Storm Events record of this type.
Ice StormNot ApplicableNot Applicable1

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 landslide and volcanic activity records (Storm Events records these hazards only in part).

Not applicable to this county per NRI, with no federal declaration and no Storm Events record since 1996: 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, Ice Storm, 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 8 (Relatively High, 94.9); tract 5 (Relatively High, 93.7); tract 2 (Relatively High, 93.1)
Coastal Floodingno tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Earthquaketract 4 (Very High, 99.4); tract 8 (Relatively High, 95.3); tract 1 (Relatively High, 91.8)
Hurricaneno tract has a National Risk Index rating for this hazard
Landslidetract 8 (Relatively Moderate, 98.8); tract 5 (Relatively Low, 93.0); tract 2 (Relatively Low, 91.8)
Tornadotract 4 (Very Low, 4.7); tract 2 (Very Low, 3.0); tract 1 (Very Low, 2.9)
Volcanic Activitytract 8 (Relatively Low, 86.8); tract 4 (Very Low, 84.3); tract 5 (Very Low, 83.4)
Wildfiretract 8 (Relatively High, 96.7); tract 2 (Relatively Moderate, 96.0); tract 4 (Relatively Moderate, 93.3)

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 8 is Census Tract 8). 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)9 records, 2011 to 2026 (9 zone-level)Avalanche, 2023-01-10, $500,000 property; $0 crops (2023 dollars); NWS zone CAZ519Countywide (zone-level records).Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Coastal Flood, Storm Surge/Tidenone in data (flood depth: FIRM)0Flood depth: see the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map.
Cold/Wind Chill, Extreme Cold/Wind Chillwind chill3 records, 1998 to 2024 (3 zone-level)1 day; 3 with a recorded value1 consecutive day, 2024-12-30, 1 direct death, zone-levelCold/Wind Chill, 1998-12-22, $75,000 property; crops not reported, reported for the zone (1998 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).Wind chill: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Frost/Freeze (outside NRI's Cold Wave definition)crop damage0Temperature: in event narratives only (local data needed).
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)6 records, 1997 to 20150.75 in to 1 in (median 0.81 in); 6 with a recorded value1 in hail, 2012-10-11Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Bishop city (2 records).
Excessive Heat, Heatheat index (in event narratives)63 records, 2009 to 2025 (63 zone-level)1 day to 11 days (median 3 days); 55 with a recorded value11 consecutive days, 2024-09-27 to 2024-10-07, zone-levelCountywide (zone-level records).Heat index: in event narratives only (local data needed).
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.
Ice StormSperry-Piltz ice scale (local data)1 record, 2017 (1 zone-level)Ice Storm, 2017-01-07, $50,000 property; $0 crops (2017 dollars); NWS zone CAZ520Countywide (zone-level records).Ice thickness: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flooddamage and flood days (flood depth: FIRM)255 records, 1997 to 2026Flash Flood, 2023-08-20, $500,000,000 property; $0 crops (2023 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Bishop city (4 records).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)0Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Lightningannualized frequency (the measure FEMA's Local Mitigation Planning Handbook names)1 record, 2016Lightning, 2016-06-11, $1,000 property; $0 crops (2016 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Bishop city (1 record).Storm Events lists lightning with damage or casualties; physical measure in event narratives only (local data needed).
High Wind and Strong Wind (outside NRI's Strong Wind definition)wind speed (kt and mph)242 records, 1996 to 2026 (242 zone-level)35 kt (40 mph) to 96 kt (110 mph) (median 57 kt (66 mph)); 241 with a recorded value96 kt (110 mph) measured gust, High Wind, 2014-12-11; NWS zone CAZ519High Wind, 2022-04-11, $300,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2022 dollars)Countywide (zone-level records).
Thunderstorm Windwind speed (kt and mph)31 records, 1982 to 202539 kt (45 mph) to 87 kt (100 mph) (median 51.5 kt (59 mph)); 26 with a recorded value87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust, Thunderstorm Wind, 2017-09-11Thunderstorm Wind, 2016-07-01, $75,000 property; $0 crops (2016 dollars)Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Bishop city (7 records).
TornadoEnhanced Fujita (Fujita before Feb 2007)2 records, 2012 to 2018F/EF0; 2 with a recorded valueEF0 tornado, 2018-03-03, 0.1 mi within this county, 10 yd wide, $0 property; $0 crops (2018 dollars); same rating, casualties and property damage also recorded on 2012-11-30Event records naming jurisdictions in the plan: Bishop 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)0Physical measure: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Wildfireacres burned (local data)6 records, 2011 to 2025 (6 zone-level)Wildfire, 2011-03-18, $4,500,000 property; $0 crops (2011 dollars); NWS zone CAZ520Countywide (zone-level records).Acres burned: in event narratives only (local data needed).
Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleetnone in data (snowfall: local data)102 records, 1996 to 2026 (102 zone-level)Heavy Snow, 2017-01-22, $1,000 property; $0 crops (2017 dollars); NWS zone CAZ520Countywide (zone-level records).Snow depth: in event narratives only (local data needed).

Storm Events records are more complete after 1996; before 1996 only Tornado (from 1950), Hail and Thunderstorm Wind (from 1955) exist. Zone-level records whose zone 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: 16 declarations covering 12 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 dollarsFlagsNotes
2023-11-212023-08-19DR-4750-CAMajor disasterTropical Storm HilaryHurricane (primary); also designated: Inland Flooding, Landslideno Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 years
2023-04-032023-02-21DR-4699-CAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesIce Storm; Inland Flooding; Landslide; Strong Wind; Winter Weather$423,315.71new since last plan; within last 5 years
2023-03-102023-03-09EM-3592-CAEmergencySevere Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide, Winter Weatherno Public Assistance recordednew since last plan; within last 5 yearssame incident as DR-4699
2023-01-142022-12-27DR-4683-CAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and MudslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide, Winter Weather$606,692.38new since last plan; within last 5 years
2020-03-222020-01-20DR-4482-CAMajor disasterCOVID-19 PandemicNon-natural, not counted$35,036.71new since last plan
2020-03-132020-01-20EM-3428-CAEmergencyCOVID-19Non-natural, not countedno Public Assistance recordednew since last plansame incident as DR-4482
2017-03-162017-01-18DR-4305-CAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, and MudslidesInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslide, Winter Weatherno Public Assistance recordedin the 12 months before plan approval
2017-02-142017-01-03DR-4301-CAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, and MudslidesInland Flooding; Landslide; Winter Weather$11,496in the 12 months before plan approval
2011-01-262010-12-17DR-1952-CAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, and Debris and Mud FlowsInland Flooding (primary); also designated: Winter Weather$304,067.11
2007-07-072007-07-07FM-2706-CAFire managementInyo Fire ComplexWildfireno Public Assistance recorded
2005-09-132005-08-29EM-3248-CAEmergencyHurricane Katrina EvacuationHurricane: evacuation support, not a local hazard event; not countedno Public Assistance recorded
1995-03-121995-02-13DR-1046-CAMajor disasterSevere Winter Storms, Flooding Landslides, Mud FlowInland Flooding; Landslide; Winter Weatherno Public Assistance recorded
1978-02-151978-02-15DR-547-CAMajor disasterCoastal Storms, Mudslides & FloodingCoastal Flooding (primary); also designated: Landslideno Public Assistance recorded
1977-01-201977-01-20EM-3023-CAEmergencyDroughtDroughtno Public Assistance recorded
1969-01-261969-01-26DR-253-CAMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno Public Assistance recorded
1967-01-021967-01-02DR-223-CAMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Floodingno 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
1964-04-011964-04-01DR-169-CAMajor disasterSeismic Sea WaveTsunami
1963-12-211963-12-21DR-161-CAMajor disasterFlood Due to Broken DamOther, not an NRI hazard; not counted
1963-02-251963-02-25DR-145-CAMajor disasterSevere Storms, Heavy Rains & FloodingInland Flooding
1962-10-241962-10-24DR-138-CAMajor disasterSevere Storms & FloodingInland Flooding
1962-03-061962-03-06DR-122-CAMajor disasterFloodsInland Flooding
1961-11-161961-11-16DR-119-CAMajor disasterFire (Los Angeles County)Wildfire
1958-04-041958-04-04DR-82-CAMajor disasterHeavy Rainstorms & FloodInland Flooding
1956-12-291956-12-29DR-65-CAMajor disasterForest FireWildfire
1955-12-231955-12-23DR-47-CAMajor disasterFloodInland Flooding
1954-02-051954-02-05DR-15-CAMajor disasterFlood & ErosionInland Flooding

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.

5 Fire Management declarations (1977-08-07 to 1988-09-13) 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
Avalanche9707001996 to 2026-06-30
Coastal Flooding0000101996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 1 federal declared incident (see declarations table)
Cold Wave3101001996 to 2026-06-30
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.
Hail6000001955 to 2026-06-30
Heat Wave6350225001996 to 2026-06-30
Hurricane0000111996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 1 federal declared incident (see declarations table)
Ice Storm1010111996 to 2026-06-30
Inland Flooding2551181379931996 to 2026-06-30
Landslide0000731996 to 2026-06-30No Storm Events records of this type; 7 federal declared incidents (see declarations table)
Lightning1000001996 to 2026-06-30
Strong Wind273931362111955 to 2026-06-30Includes 218 High Wind and 24 Strong Wind records.
Tornado2100001950 to 2026-06-30
Volcanic Activity0000001996 to 2026-06-30No recorded events, 1996 to 2026-06-30, NOAA NCEI Storm Events
Wildfire6302101996 to 2026-06-30
Winter Weather10233727621996 to 2026-06-30

Notable Storm Events records

Sources: 1, 6, 7

DateEvent typeMagnitude or extentDamagenominal dollarsDeaths, injuriesdirect onlyLocationFlagsWhy listed
2024-09-27Excessive Heat$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2024 dollars)0, 0NWS zone CAZ522 (DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Excessive Heat, Heat
2023-08-20Flash Flood$500,000,000 property; $0 crops (2023 dollars)0, 0DEEP SPGS to BIG PINEnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Flash Flood, Flood, Lakeshore Flood
2023-01-10Avalanche$500,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2023 dollars)0, 0NWS zone CAZ519 (EASTERN SIERRA SLOPES OF INYO COUNTY), zone-levelnew since last plan; within last 5 yearsB1-c worst recorded: Avalanche
2021-08-18Heat$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2021 dollars)2, 0NWS zone CAZ522 (DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK), zone-levelnew since last plandeaths or injuries recorded
2018-03-03TornadoEF0, 0.1 mi within this county, 10 yd wide$0 property; $0 crops (2018 dollars)0, 0BISHOPnew since last planB1-c worst recorded: Tornado
2017-09-11Thunderstorm Wind87 kt (100 mph) estimated gust$50,000 property; $0 crops (2017 dollars)0, 0PARK VLGin the 12 months before plan approvalB1-c worst recorded: Thunderstorm Wind
2017-01-22Heavy Snow$1,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2017 dollars)0, 0NWS zone CAZ520 (OWENS VALLEY), zone-levelin the 12 months before plan approvalB1-c worst recorded: Winter Storm, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Lake-Effect Snow, Winter Weather, Sleet
2016-06-11Lightning$1,000 property; $0 crops (2016 dollars)0, 0BISHOPB1-c worst recorded: Lightning
2014-12-11High Wind96 kt (110 mph) measured gust$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2014 dollars)0, 0NWS zone CAZ519 (EASTERN SIERRA SLOPES OF INYO COUNTY), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: High Wind and Strong Wind
2011-04-26Avalanche$0 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2011 dollars)2, 0NWS zone CAZ519 (EASTERN SIERRA SLOPES OF INYO COUNTY), zone-leveldeaths or injuries recorded
2011-03-18Wildfire$4,500,000 property; $0 crops, reported for the zone (2011 dollars)0, 0NWS zone CAZ520 (OWENS VALLEY), zone-levelB1-c worst recorded: Wildfire
2004-08-15Flash Flood$20,000,000 property; crops not reported (2004 dollars)2, 0DEATH VLYdeaths or injuries recorded

The full list is in the Excel file, sheet "B1-d Storm Events history" (721 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
Avalanche0.167events per yearabout 1 in 6 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)51994 to 2023 (30 years)see B1-f
Coastal Floodingevents per year at a location (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-fNot Applicable in NRI for this county; no descriptor.
Cold Wave0.000000266event-days per yearabout 0.000000266 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 3 of 30 years)event-days in 3 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (10%)0.000004982005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Drought153event-days per yearabout 153 days per yearevent-days in 0 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (0%)4,2282000 to 2025 (25.25 years; D3 and D4 only)countywideNo Storm Events drought record, 1996 to 2025
Earthquake0.0824annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county has at least minor-damage shaking in a year: 8.24%not shownmodeledsee B1-fNo descriptor (Storm Events does not record earthquakes).
Hail0.0204events per yearabout 1 in 49 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)0.8 (modeled)1986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Heat Wave10.4event-days per yearabout 10.4 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 15 of 30 years)event-days in 15 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (50%)60.92005-11-12 to 2024-11-12 (19 years)countywide
Hurricaneevents per year1851 to 2024 (Atlantic); 1949 to 2024 (Pacific)see B1-fNot Applicable in NRI for this county; no descriptor.
Ice Stormevent-days per yearPossible1946-12-31 to 2014-02-12 (67 years)countywideNot Applicable in NRI for this county; the descriptor comes from Storm Events, not NRI: event-days in 1 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025.
Inland Flooding4.96event-days per yearabout 4.96 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 25 of 30 years)event-days in 25 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (83.3%)1391996 to 2023 (28 years)see B1-f
Landslide30.6events per year (modeled)about 30.6 per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Lightning15.9days per year with a strikeabout 15.9 days per yearHighly likelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1995 to 2023 (29 years; CONUS)countywide
Strong Wind0.0646events per yearabout 1 in 15 yearsPossibleFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)31986 to 2023 (38 years)countywide
Tornado0.104events per yearabout 1 in 10 yearsLikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shown1950 to 2023 (EF2+); 1986 to 2023 (EF0-1)see B1-f
Volcanic Activity0.0009annual probabilityabout 1 in 1,111 yearsUnlikelyFEMA annualized frequency (modeled)not shownmodeledsee B1-f
Wildfire0.00229annual probability at a locationchance a given location in the county burns in a year: 0.229%Likely (from Storm Events: 5 of 30 years)Storm Events records in 5 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (16.7%)not shownmodeledsee B1-fDescriptor from Storm Events, not NRI.
Winter Weather4.55event-days per yearabout 4.55 days per yearLikely (from Storm Events: 22 of 30 years)event-days in 22 of 30 years, 1996 to 2025 (73.3%)86.32005-11-12 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 20251300.0333
Hail2.00 in+1996 to 20250300
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)50-64 kt1996 to 202515300.5
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)65 kt+1996 to 20253300.1
Thunderstorm Wind (counted as NRI Strong Wind)unmeasured or below 50 kt1996 to 20256300.2
TornadoEF0-11996 to 20252300.0667
TornadoEF2-31996 to 20250300
TornadoEF4-51996 to 20250300
Tornadounrated (EFU)1996 to 20250300

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
Avalanche4 of 692.893.494.9Relatively High 4, Not Applicable 2
Coastal Flooding0 of 6Not Applicable 6
Cold Wave2 of 615.415.415.4Very Low 2, No Rating 4
Drought5 of 669.375.486.9Relatively Low 1, Very Low 4, No Rating 1
Earthquake6 of 688.191.499.4Very High 1, Relatively High 4, Relatively Moderate 1
Hail6 of 61.85.112.5Very Low 6
Heat Wave6 of 698.399.8100.0Very High 6
Hurricane0 of 6Not Applicable 6
Ice Storm0 of 6Not Applicable 6
Inland Flooding6 of 657.679.498.8Very High 1, Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 3
Landslide4 of 677.392.498.8Relatively Moderate 1, Relatively Low 2, Very Low 1, No Rating 2
Lightning6 of 647.361.184.9Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 4, Relatively Low 1
Strong Wind6 of 66.18.722.2Relatively Low 1, Very Low 5
Tornado6 of 61.12.64.7Very Low 6
Volcanic Activity6 of 679.882.086.8Relatively Low 1, Very Low 5
Wildfire6 of 690.692.596.7Relatively High 1, Relatively Moderate 5
Winter Weather6 of 668.977.889.4Relatively High 2, Relatively Moderate 4

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
Inyo CountyCountyExpired on 2022-12-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0$693,196.510 total; 0 since its planIncludes $35,036.71 for declarations not counted as hazard incidents (DR-4482-CA).
Bishop cityCityExpired on 2022-12-17FMA RL 0, SRL 0; any 0no Public Assistance recorded15 total; 4 since its 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 2017-12-18county-coded records, property plus crops, nominal dollarsZone-level damage since planproperty plus crops, reported for the zonePublic Assistance since plannominal dollars; see noteNote
Avalanche$5,216,714n/a10$16,462n/a$3,272,7780.316%$500,000
Coastal FloodingNot Applicable in NRI for this county
Cold Wave$16,043,793$3944under $1under $1under $1under 0.0001%$0
Droughtn/a$847,605n/an/a$6,279n/a0.741% (agriculture)NRI has no building exposure for this hazard; agriculture shown
Earthquake$9,836,563,507n/a19,016$6,210,721n/a$2,239,4830.0631%
Hail$5,525,091,078$13,658,39418,979$539$152$397under 0.0001%
Heat Wave$5,525,091,078$13,658,39418,979$984$2,757$9,385,244under 0.0001%$0
Hurricaneno Public Assistance recorded (1 declaration)Not Applicable in NRI for this county
Ice Storm$423,315.71Not Applicable in NRI for this county
Inland Flooding$5,522,765,407$1,363,836184$6,308,470$7,368$281,134n/a (see note)$514,379,200$1,030,008.09NRI 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$106,627,032n/a121$9,537n/a$6,2730.00894%$1,030,008.09
Lightning$5,525,091,078n/a18,979$9,779n/a$78,1320.000177%
Strong Wind$5,525,091,078$13,658,39418,979$3,443$16$2,686under 0.0001%$1,000$853,000$423,315.71Storm Events damage since the plan includes 27 zone-level High Wind records ($769,000) and 10 zone-level Strong Wind records ($84,000): NOAA non-thunderstorm wind types, outside NRI's Strong Wind definition.
Tornado$5,525,091,078$13,658,39418,979$3,209$8$1,195under 0.0001%$0
Volcanic Activity$5,525,091,078n/a18,979$20n/a$29under 0.0001%
Wildfire$739,568,922$10,842,3445,217$401,777$70$27,2860.0543%$300,000
Winter Weather$5,525,091,078$13,658,39418,979$723under $1$43,173under 0.0001%$0$1,030,008.09

Totals since 2017-12-18 (Storm Events through 2026-06-30): 127 county-coded records, 127 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $514,380,200; 179 zone-level records, 179 with a damage value recorded (including $0), $1,653,000 reported for the zone; Public Assistance: $1,030,008.09 on 4 counted declarations, 2 of them with Public Assistance.

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
Population18,979
Building value (total, not at risk)$5,525,091,078
Agriculture value (total, not at risk)$13,658,394
NRI risk rating (all hazards)Relatively Low
Expected annual loss, buildings and agriculture, all hazards$12,982,314
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)$15,337,809
Social vulnerability ratingVery High
Community resilience ratingRelatively 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 file0130410

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
Inyo County0600730000000
Bishop city0600740000000

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, organized by the items of FEMA's Local Mitigation Plan Review Tool, Element B. Each section heading names the item its tables support; the plan and FEMA's review decide whether the 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). Inyo County, CA: risk-assessment baseline packet, release 2026-10 (data as of 2026-09-30; County FIPS 06027). Automated baseline. https://hazardplain.org/ca/06027/ 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: contact@hazardplain.org

Hazard Plain release 2026-10. As of 2026-09-30; Storm Events data through 2026-06-30. Automated baseline.