Clark County, NV flood risk and natural hazards
FEMA rates riverine flooding and heat wave risk as Very High in Clark County, NV. Modeled losses from natural hazards (expected annual loss) average about $813 million a year, for a population of 2,260,510. These county figures come from the FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. Observation windows vary by metric and sit beside the tables below.
- Modeled expected annual loss
- $812.6 million / year
- US loss rank
- #16 of 3,232
- State loss rank
- #1 of 17
- Loss per resident
- $359 · state $443 · US $459
- FEMA overall risk rating
- Very High
Nevada county modeled loss
- Positive estimates to $4.1 million
- Above $4.1 million to $5.5 million
- Above $5.5 million to $24.5 million
- Above $24.5 million to $44.6 million
- Above $44.6 million to $812.6 million
- No FEMA estimate
Clark County, NV ranks #1 of 17 in the state for modeled expected annual loss; the outline locates it.
View chart data
Is Clark County at risk of flooding?
FEMA labels riverine flooding Very High and coastal flooding Not Applicable. Modeled annual riverine flood loss is $362,175,961; coastal flood loss is Not Applicable. These are separate hazards and county totals. A rating describes relative county risk. It does not locate water at a building or establish a flood zone. Read missing statuses using the source documentation. Keep both source labels when comparing counties. Read the county rating versus flood-zone guide before requesting a location check.
Look up an address and its flood zone through FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center.
What natural hazards affect Clark County most?
Show tabular data
| County | Modeled expected annual loss (USD/year) | Overall risk rating |
|---|---|---|
| Clark County, NV | 812,587,961.36 | Very High |
Show tabular data
| Hazard | Source label | Observation window |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | Not Applicable | 1996-2023 |
| Riverine flooding | Very High | 1996-2023 |
| Hurricane | No Rating | 1851-2024 |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 1996-2023 |
| Earthquake | Relatively High | 1996-2023 |
| Tornado | Very Low | 1950-2023 |
| Heat wave | Very High | 2005-2024 |
How have heat and rain changed in Clark County?
Hot days
Hot days increased between the two decades.
View chart data
| Place | Days / year |
|---|---|
| 1991–2000 | 102.30 |
| 2016–2025 | 114.80 |
Warm nights
Warm nights increased between the two decades.
View chart data
| Place | Days / year |
|---|---|
| 1991–2000 | 36.00 |
| 2016–2025 | 63.10 |
Heavy-precipitation days
Heavy-precipitation days round to 0.0 in both decades; hollow marks confirm the zero state.
View chart data
| Place | Days / year |
|---|---|
| 1991–2000 | 0.00 |
| 2016–2025 | 0.00 |
Humid-heat days
Humid-heat days increased between the two decades.
View chart data
| Place | Days / year |
|---|---|
| 1991–2000 | 0.30 |
| 2016–2025 | 1.00 |
| Measure | 1991–2000 | 2016–2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot days · ≥35°C (95°F) | 102.3 | 114.8 | +12.5 |
| Humid-heat days · heat index ≥103°F (39.4°C) | 0.3 | 1.0 | +0.7 |
| Warm nights · ≥24°C (75.2°F) | 36.0 | 63.1 | +27.1 |
| Heavy-rain days · ≥50 mm (≈2 in) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Annual maximum daily precipitation · mm | 19.1 | 19.1 | −0.0 |
Counts are days per year; a grid-cell zero does not mean the county had no such events. Thresholds, time bases and limits: county climate method.
Methodology & sensor cross-check notes
Hot-day cross-check: NOAA’s county-average daily maximum temperature gives 68.0 → 83.0 hot days a year (+15.0); NASA gives 102.3 → 114.8 (+12.5). Both series show an increase, with different counts and change sizes. The footprints differ, so agreement does not validate either count. Warm nights and precipitation were not cross-checked. Humid-heat row: Copernicus (ECMWF) reanalysis. It uses a different regional grid from the NASA measures.
No statistical significance, cause or future trend is established; this does not change the FEMA ratings above.
Climate data: NASA · Population context: US Census Bureau · Hot-day cross-check: NOAA county climate records · Humid heat: Copernicus (ECMWF). Method, sources and limitations · Climate JSON · Data credits.
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direction"}}How does El Niño affect Clark County winters?
Strong El Niño winter precipitation
4 of 9 strong El Niño winters were wetter than normal. The vertical line marks 100% of normal precipitation.
View chart data
| Winter | Precipitation (% of normal) |
|---|---|
| 1957–58 | 70.804 |
| 1965–66 | 92.097 |
| 1972–73 | 92.760 |
| 1982–83 | 105.256 |
| 1991–92 | 141.458 |
| 1997–98 | 159.615 |
| 2009–10 | 163.676 |
| 2015–16 | 63.868 |
| 2023–24 | 92.247 |
NOAA and IRI both give 100% odds that El Niño conditions (tropical Pacific ONI of at least 0.5°C, not a local weather forecast) are present this winter. In Clark County, 4 of 9 past strong El Niño winters were wetter than normal; the median winter had 93% of normal precipitation (rain and melted snow). The driest, 2015–16, had 64%.
| Winter | ONI | Precipitation | Temp. | Heavy days | Claims |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957–58 | 1.7 | 71% | +1.5°F | 0 | — |
| 1965–66 | 1.6 | 92% | −2.2°F | 0 | — |
| 1972–73 | 1.8 | 93% | −2.8°F | 0 | — |
| 1982–83 | 2.1 | 105% | 0.0°F | 0 | 0 |
| 1991–92 | 1.5 | 141% | +0.3°F | 0 | 1 (#10) |
| 1997–98 | 2.4 | 160% | −1.0°F | 1 | 0 |
| 2009–10 | 1.5 | 164% | −1.6°F | 0 | 0 |
| 2015–16 | 2.6 | 64% | 0.0°F | 0 | 0 |
| 2023–24 | 2.0 | 92% | +0.6°F | 0 | 0 |
Winter normals and temperature baseline
Clark County normals, 1990–91 to 2019–20 winters: 3.2 inches of precipitation (rain and melted snow) and 0.1 heavy days. Temperature is set against the county’s own winter trend of +0.4°F per decade since 1951–52.
Flood claims: December–February, from 1978 (— = before the data). The rank compares each winter with all 47 winters from 1978–79 to 2024–25 (#1 is the most claims; no rank is shown for 0 claims). The median winter had 0 claims; 1 of 6 strong winters in the data were above it. Insured exposure grew over time, so counts are not comparable across decades.
Past tendency is not a forecast and not a property-level finding. Before winter: four checks for property teams.
Sources: NOAA county climate records and Pacific climate assessments; FEMA National Flood Insurance Program claims. Method and limits · El Niño 2026–27.
What are the modeled losses by hazard?
From 1991–2000 to 2016–2025, hot days near Clark County changed from 102.3 to 114.8 per year. Heavy-rain days changed from 0.0 to 0.0. The table retains humid heat, warm nights and maximum daily rain. Compare the periods alongside the source notes. These decade means describe past conditions; they do not predict a future year or establish a trend.
Clark County’s modeled loss across all hazards is $812,587,961 per year. The FEMA National Risk Index ranks the hazards below by modeled loss, not rating category.
Show tabular data
| Hazard | Total loss ($/yr) | Of which buildings ($/yr) | Observation window |
|---|---|---|---|
| All hazards (composite) | $812,587,961 | $472,800,666 | 1996-2023 |
| Riverine flooding | $362,175,961 | $357,508,830 | 1996-2023 |
| Heat wave | $294,704,639 | Not published | 2005-2024 |
| Earthquake | $124,124,685 | $86,846,801 | 1996-2023 |
| Wildfire | $24,456,604 | $23,285,348 | 1996-2023 |
| Tornado | $51,292 | $35,875 | 1950-2023 |
| Hurricane | $0 | $0 | 1851-2024 |
| Coastal flooding | Not available | Not available | 1996-2023 |
These modeled county totals do not estimate property losses, insurance inputs or forecasts. Do not multiply them by location counts.
Reuse this chart
What is exposed in Clark County?
Population and asset values show the scale behind county losses. These county totals are exposure measures, not loss figures.
Show tabular data
| Measure | Value | Observation window |
|---|---|---|
| Resident population | 2,260,510 | 2020-2020 |
| Building replacement value | $443,814,880,015 | 2020-2020 |
| Agricultural market value | $16,288,922 | 2022-2022 |
What do vulnerability and resilience show?
These relative rankings describe susceptibility to hazard impacts and capacity to recover. They measure no individual asset or outcome.
Show tabular data
| Measure | Score | Observation window |
|---|---|---|
| Social vulnerability index | 46.1 | 2020-2020 |
| Community resilience index | 6.6 | 2020-2020 |
Clark County in the state and national rankings
Clark County has about $812.6 million in modeled expected annual loss, ranking #16 of 3,232 nationally. Its share of Nevada modeled loss is 59.3%, with a state rank of #1 of 17. FEMA’s about $812.6 million figure describes a long-run average; actual annual loss can differ. The next higher national total is about $824.7 million, in Miami-Dade County, FL. Ventura County, CA ranks immediately below it, with about $762.2 million in modeled annual loss. The next lower total within Nevada belongs to Washoe County, NV, at about $273.8 million. About $538.8 million separates those two estimates, and the other county’s state loss share is 20.0%.
County hazard loss mix
Riverine Flood leads the modeled expected annual loss mix; bar lengths share a zero baseline.
View chart data
| Hazard | USD / year | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flood | 362,175,961.04 | 44.6% |
| Heat Wave | 294,704,639.46 | 36.3% |
| Earthquake | 124,124,684.67 | 15.3% |
| Wildfire | 24,456,603.93 | 3.0% |
| Hail | 4,306,059.84 | 0.5% |
| Avalanche | 913,462.64 | 0.1% |
| Other | 1,906,549.78 | 0.2% |
National hazard loss ranks
Riverine Flood ranks #14 of 3,232 by modeled expected annual loss. Higher percentiles mean larger modeled losses.
View chart data
| Hazard | Rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flood | #14 of 3,232 US · #1 of 17 in NV | 99.60 |
| Heat Wave | #2 of 3,202 US · #1 of 17 in NV | 99.97 |
| Earthquake | #34 of 3,232 US · #2 of 17 in NV | 98.98 |
| Wildfire | #31 of 3,144 US · #3 of 17 in NV | 99.05 |
| Hail | #102 of 3,225 US · #1 of 17 in NV | 96.87 |
| Avalanche | #102 of 684 US · #2 of 17 in NV | 85.23 |
Modeled loss per resident
Clark has about $359 in modeled expected annual loss per resident. State and US values divide total loss by total population.
View chart data
| Place | USD / resident / year |
|---|---|
| Clark | 359.47 |
| Nevada | 442.59 |
| US | 459.35 |
Clark County hazard estimates
Riverine Flood
The national loss rank for riverine flooding is #14 of 3,232, based on about $362.2 million in modeled expected annual loss. Its 44.6% share of total loss comes with a state loss rank of #1 of 17; FEMA assigns a Very High rating; the same rating for riverine flooding covers 1 Nevada county and 26 across the US.
Heat Wave
With about $294.7 million in modeled expected annual loss from heat waves, the county ranks #2 of 3,202 in the national comparison. This hazard makes up 36.3% of the total; FEMA assigns a Very High rating, and its loss ranks #1 of 17 in Nevada; the Very High label covers 1 state county and 11 nationally for heat waves.
Earthquake
For earthquakes, about $124.1 million in expected annual loss puts the county #34 of 3,232 across the US. In Nevada, this estimate ranks #2 of 17 and represents 15.3% of the county’s modeled loss; FEMA assigns a Relatively High rating; for earthquakes, 2 state counties and 53 US counties share that label.
Wildfire
With about $24.5 million in modeled expected annual loss from wildfires, the county ranks #31 of 3,144 in the national comparison. Its 3.0% share of total loss comes with a state loss rank of #3 of 17; FEMA assigns a Relatively High rating; the same rating for wildfires covers 4 Nevada counties and 71 across the US.
Hail
FEMA models about $4.3 million in expected annual loss from hail, placing the county #102 of 3,225 nationally. This hazard makes up 0.5% of the total; FEMA assigns a Relatively High rating, and its loss ranks #1 of 17 in Nevada; the Relatively High label covers 1 state county and 166 nationally for hail.
Avalanche
For avalanches, about $913,000 in expected annual loss puts the county #102 of 684 across the US. In Nevada, this estimate ranks #2 of 17 and represents 0.1% of the county’s modeled loss; FEMA assigns a Relatively Moderate rating; for avalanches, 3 state counties and 49 US counties share that label.
About $67.5 million separates riverine flooding from heat waves in the local estimates, equivalent to 8.3 percentage points of county loss. About $170.6 million separates heat waves from earthquakes in the local estimates, equivalent to 21.0 percentage points of county loss. The loss estimate for earthquakes exceeds wildfires by about $99.7 million, equivalent to 12.3 percentage points of total loss. For wildfires, modeled loss is about $20.2 million above hail, leaving 2.5 percentage points between their county shares. The loss estimate for hail exceeds avalanches by about $3.4 million, equivalent to 0.4 percentage points of total loss.
Population and recorded values
FEMA counts 2,260,510 residents in Clark County, across about 8,142 square miles. FEMA lists about $443.81 billion in building value. About $16.3 million is the agricultural value amount in FEMA’s record. Total modeled loss averages about $359 per resident annually, compared with about $443 statewide. Its 73.0% share of state residents sits alongside 59.3% of of annual loss. The county contains 70.6% of the building value recorded across Nevada. Its population density ranks 2 within 17 Nevada counties that have both area and population estimates. The population-to-area ratio is about 278 residents per square mile; statewide it is about 28. The median county population in Nevada is about 17,234, compared with 2,260,510 locally. In the US totals, the county represents 0.5% of modeled annual loss and 0.7% of recorded residents. Per-person modeled loss is about $359 locally; the corresponding US average comes to about $459. The six hazards described above together make up 99.8% of modeled loss, about $810.7 million annually. The balance outside those six estimates is about $1.9 million, or 0.2% of total loss. In position 7 locally, lightning has about $891,000 in modeled annual loss, ranking #2 of 17 statewide. Its national loss rank is #492 of 3,222, and it represents 0.1% of the county’s modeled loss. About $804,000 places strong wind at number 8 in the local loss list and #2 of 17 within Nevada. With 0.1% of county loss, this hazard has national placement #1,052 of 3,225.
FEMA labels and risk score
Clark County has a FEMA risk index score of about 99.6, ranking #15 of 3,144 nationally. Among 17 Nevada counties, 1 receives the same Very High label for risk index. Among 17 Nevada counties, 2 receive the same Relatively High label for expected annual loss. The social vulnerability rating is Relatively Moderate, a label shared by 3 of 17 Nevada counties. Among 17 Nevada counties, 15 receive the same Very Low label for community resilience. Its risk score ranks #1 of 17 within Nevada, while its loss total ranks #1 of 17. Within Nevada, 2 counties share both labels: Relatively Moderate vulnerability and Very Low resilience. The group represents 59.6% of statewide loss; this county supplies 99.5% of the group’s modeled amount. The adjacent state score below this county belongs to Washoe County, NV: about 96.7, ranked #2 of 17. Its share of statewide modeled loss is 20.0%; FEMA’s risk index label there is Relatively High. FEMA lists 628 county records with Relatively Moderate social vulnerability; together they contain 21.5% of its US population total. FEMA lists 628 county records with Very Low community resilience; together they contain 18.6% of its US population total. The local Very High hazard group contains 2 entries: heat waves, riverine flooding. Across the county’s hazard ratings, 4 carry Relatively High: earthquakes, hail, lightning, wildfires. The local Relatively Moderate hazard group contains 4 entries: avalanches, landslides, strong wind, winter weather. FEMA assigns Very Low to 4 hazards here, covering cold waves, drought, tornadoes, volcanic activity.
What else should I know about Clark County?
What does FEMA estimate for earthquakes in Clark County?
Clark County has about $124.1 million in modeled expected annual loss from earthquakes, with a Relatively High rating.
What does FEMA estimate for tornadoes in Clark County?
For tornadoes, FEMA lists Clark County at Very Low, with about $51,000 in modeled expected annual loss.
Where does Clark County rank within Nevada?
Clark County ranks #1 of 17 for modeled expected annual loss.
What is the FEMA social vulnerability rating for Clark County?
FEMA assigns Clark County a Relatively Moderate social vulnerability rating.
What does FEMA estimate for riverine flooding in Clark County?
For riverine flooding, FEMA lists Clark County at Very High, with about $362.2 million in modeled expected annual loss.
Where does Clark County rank nationally by loss?
Clark County places #16 of 3,232 for modeled expected annual loss.
Which strong El Niño winter had the most flood claims in Clark County?
Clark County recorded 1 December–February NFIP claims in 1991–92, ranked #10 among 47 winters.
Where next for Clark County?
See how the county compares across the state in Nevada natural hazard risk by county, download the FEMA county hazard data, or review the county climate risk data API and bulk files. Check the sources and what each measure can show on the methodology page.