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Natural hazard risk in Hot Springs County, Wyoming

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Very Low (score 16.0 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$4.7 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1978
2[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$0[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
6[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates overall natural hazard risk in Hot Springs County, Wyoming, Very Low compared with other US counties, with a Risk Index score of 16.0 out of 100[5]. Within the county, the hazards with the highest FEMA Risk Index scores are landslide, avalanche and wildfire[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA's National Risk Index estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Hot Springs County at $4.7 million a year, rated Very Low[1]. This is FEMA's estimate of average yearly economic loss, not money anyone paid, and it does not predict next year's losses[7]. Inland flooding accounts for the largest share in FEMA's estimate, at $3.5 million a year[8]. FEMA rates landslide risk Relatively Moderate compared with other US counties, with a score of 95.0[9]. FEMA rates social vulnerability Relatively High and community resilience Very Low, which describe how susceptible social groups are to harm from hazards and how well the community can prepare for and recover from them[10][11].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
LandslideRelatively Moderate$95,000[9]
AvalancheRelatively Low$30,000[12]
WildfireRelatively Low$98,000[13]
EarthquakeRelatively Low$352,000[14]
Inland FloodingRelatively Low$3.5 million[8]
LightningRelatively Low$112,000[15]
Cold WaveRelatively Low$291,000[16]
HailVery Low$49,000[17]
DroughtVery Low$929[18]
Volcanic ActivityVery Low$0[19]
TornadoVery Low$63,000[20]
Strong WindVery Low$27,000[21]
Heat WaveVery Low$4,706[22]
Ice StormVery Low$1,634[23]
Winter WeatherVery Low$936[24]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: coastal flooding, hurricane, tsunami[25].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityRelatively High73.3[10]
Community resilienceVery Low13.0[11]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding risk in Hot Springs County Relatively Low compared with other US counties, with an Expected Annual Loss of $3.5 million a year[8]. OpenFEMA data show 5 residential flood insurance contracts in force out of 3,142 residential structures as of 2026-08-03, a penetration rate of 0.2%[26]. A HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP claims for losses from 1978 to 2026 counts 1 claim, with NFIP paying $0 in total[3]. To check the flood zone of an address, use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center or ask the local floodplain manager[27].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[8] Relatively Low, $3.5 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[26] 5 of 3,142 homes
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 1 filed, $0 paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[27]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 2 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Hot Springs County since 1978, one for flood and one for fire[2]. The most recent is FM-5608-WY for the Red Canyon Fire, declared 2025-08-15, and the earlier one is DR-557-WY for severe storms, flooding and mudslides, declared 1978-05-29[28]. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center tornado database records 6 tornadoes in the county from 1950 to 2024, the strongest rated F2, and the most recent on 2024-09-09[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Hot Springs County, since 1978
Incident type Declarations
Flood[2] 1
Fire[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
FM-5608-WY[28] Red Canyon Fire 2025-08-15
DR-557-WY[28] Severe Storms, Flooding & Mudslides 1978-05-29

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Wildfires

Before

  • Sign up for community alerts and watch for air quality alerts.
  • Make sure everyone knows the evacuation plan, including for school, work and other places you go often.
  • Keep a fire-resistant zone of at least 30 feet around your home, clear of leaves and debris.
  • Use fire-resistant building materials and keep a hose long enough to reach every part of your property.
  • Pick a room you can seal off from outside air and keep a portable air cleaner ready.

During

  • Leave right away when authorities tell you to evacuate.
  • If you are trapped, call 9-1-1 with your location and turn on lights to help rescuers find you.
  • If you are not ordered to leave but there is smoke, stay in a safe indoor place or go to a community building with less smoke.

Source: Ready.gov, wildfires

Earthquakes

Before

  • Practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On with your family and coworkers.
  • Sign up for earthquake alerts that can warn you before shaking starts.
  • Make a plan with an out-of-state contact and a place to meet if you get separated.
  • Anchor heavy items such as bookcases, refrigerators and water heaters, and keep heavy things on low shelves.
  • Consider earthquake insurance. Standard homeowners policies do not cover earthquake damage.

During

  • Drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck, and hold on until the shaking stops.
  • Indoors, stay where you are and avoid doorways. Outdoors, move to an open area away from buildings and power lines.
  • If you are driving, pull over, stop and set the parking brake.

Source: Ready.gov, earthquakes

Questions people ask

Is Hot Springs County, Wyoming at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding risk in Hot Springs County Relatively Low compared with other US counties[8]. County ratings do not show the flood zone of a single address, so look it up at FEMA's Flood Map Service Center[27].
Does Hot Springs County get tornadoes?
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center tornado database records 6 tornadoes in the county from 1950 to 2024, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger[4]. FEMA rates tornado risk Very Low compared with other US counties[20].
What is the earthquake risk in Hot Springs County?
FEMA rates earthquake risk Relatively Low compared with other US counties, with an Expected Annual Loss of $352,000 a year[14].
What is the wildfire risk in Hot Springs County?
FEMA rates wildfire risk Relatively Low compared with other US counties, with a score of 66.4[13]. OpenFEMA lists a fire management declaration for the Red Canyon Fire, declared 2025-08-15[28].
How many federal disasters have been declared in Hot Springs County?
OpenFEMA lists 2 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include the county since 1978, 1 major disaster and 1 emergency or fire management[2].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Hot Springs County is $4.7 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Very Low, score 11.5). Of this, buildings account for $4.0 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for $655,000 and... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 2 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Hot Springs County since 1978 (1 major disaster, 1 emergency or fire management). By incident type: flood 1, fire 1. Biological (such as COVID-19) and other non-natural declarations are not counted. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 1 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Hot Springs County, 0 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $0 in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year paid). OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 6 recorded tornadoes touched Hot Springs County. The strongest were rated F2 (most recent of them on 2001-07-10). 0 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2024-09-09. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and the... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Hot Springs County is Very Low, with a Risk Index score of 16.0 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Hot Springs County are landslide (95.0, Relatively Moderate), avalanche (77.1, Relatively Low), wildfire (66.4, Relatively Low). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  8. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Hot Springs County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 39.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $3.5 million a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.21 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 26 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Hot Springs County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 95.0 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $95,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Hot Springs County is Relatively High (score 73.3). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Hot Springs County is Very Low (score 13.0). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), avalanche in Hot Springs County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 77.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $30,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.07 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 28 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Hot Springs County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 66.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $98,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0008 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Hot Springs County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 60.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $352,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.003 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Hot Springs County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 38.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $112,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 34.47 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Hot Springs County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 28.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $291,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.75 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Hot Springs County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 18.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $49,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.38 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Hot Springs County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 16.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $929 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 73.69 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), volcanic activity in Hot Springs County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 13.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $0 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Hot Springs County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 11.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $63,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.12 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Hot Springs County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 5.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $27,000 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.34 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Hot Springs County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 5.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $4,706 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.14 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), ice storm in Hot Springs County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 4.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $1,634 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 0.01 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 68 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), winter weather in Hot Springs County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 2.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $936 a year (rating Very Low). Annualized frequency 12.5 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  25. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Hot Springs County: coastal flooding, hurricane, tsunami. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically possible there. FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  26. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 5 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Hot Springs County, out of 3,142 residential structures, a penetration rate of 0.2%. OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  27. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  28. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets 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). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.