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Clark County, Nevada

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Very High overall risk
1st of 17highest risk in Nevada
$813Mexpected losses a year
12federal declarations
1 in 500homes with flood insurance
Photo: Ricky Barnard, CC BY 2.0

Clark County, Nevada has a very high overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is in the top 1% of US counties. It ranks 1st of 17 counties in Nevada. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, heat waves and earthquakes. FEMA estimates about $813 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $359 per resident. Since 1981 it has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (4 major disasters). The most recent was in July 2013 (Carpenter 1 Fire). Fewer than 1 in 100 homes here carry federal flood insurance (1,197 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $9.3 million on 626 claims here.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Clark County

$362 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 7 times a year.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.

Heat wave

Very High
$295 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 12 times a year.
  • Check that cooling works before summer.
  • Know where the nearest cooling center is.
$124 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 55 years.
  • Ask whether an older house is bolted to its foundation.
  • Consider separate earthquake insurance where risk is high.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingVery High99.6
$362M
Heat waveVery High99.9
$295M
EarthquakeHigh99.1
$124M
WildfireHigh99.1
$24M
HailHigh97.3
$4M
AvalancheModerate85.1
$913K
LightningHigh85.8
$891K
Strong windModerate66.5
$804K
Winter weatherModerate61.6
$89K
LandslideModerate92.1
$70K
TornadoVery Low9.2
$51K
DroughtVery Low16.7
$1K
Volcanic activityVery Low36.5
$4
Cold waveVery Low2.6
$1

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is relatively moderate and community resilience is very low in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Clark County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Fire5
Flood2
Severe Storm2
Snowstorm2
Hurricane1

Most recent

Jul 5, 2013Carpenter 1 FireFire management
Jul 1, 2010Cathedral FireFire management
Sep 13, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
Jun 24, 2005Good Springs FireFire management
Mar 7, 2005Heavy Rains and FloodingMajor disaster
Feb 23, 2005SnowEmergency
Feb 17, 2005Record And/Or Near Record SnowEmergency
Jul 26, 2004Robbers FireFire management
Jul 17, 2002Nv - Lost Cabin Fire - 07/17/02Fire management
Jul 20, 1999Nv - Flash Flooding 7/8/99Major disaster
Show all 12
Sep 6, 1984Heavy Rains & FloodingMajor disaster
Aug 28, 1981Severe Storms & FloodingMajor disaster

Nevada also had 23 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1959

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 908 storm reports in Clark County since 1959, with 26 deaths and 197 injuries and about $298 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an F1 tornado on September 17, 1989.

13tornadoes
106hail reports, largest 2 inches
309damaging thunderstorm winds
398floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Sep 17, 1989F1–0 / 0
Mar 30, 1992F1–0 / 0
Oct 14, 1989F1–0 / 0
Apr 21, 2001F1Cal-Nev-Ari0 / 0
Aug 20, 1975F0–0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Jul 18, 1994Thunderstorm Wind–$50M
Jul 15, 2012HailBracken$50M
Jun 30, 2016HailBoulder Jct$50M
Jul 8, 1999Flash FloodLas Vegas$25M
Aug 20, 2023Flash FloodCharleston Park$25M
Sep 11, 2012Flash FloodLas Vegas N Air Term$20M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Oct 10, 2025. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Flood insurance in Clark County

Check your address flood zone ›
0.2%of homes have federal flood insurance (1,197 policies)
30.2%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$9.3 millionpaid on 626 flood claims since 1978
1999costliest year, with $1.7 million paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Clark County

$431,000median home value (Nevada $435,400, US $332,700)
1998median year homes were built (Nevada 1996, US 1980)
18%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
2.7%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 948,995 housing units.

Compare in Nevada

All 17 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Clark CountyVery HighInland flooding
Washoe CountyHighEarthquake
Lyon CountyLowEarthquake
Carson City CityLowEarthquake
Elko CountyModerateWildfire
Nye CountyLowInland flooding
Douglas CountyModerateEarthquake
Churchill CountyLowInland flooding

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
San Bernardino County, CAVery High59
Mohave County, AZHigh13
Nye CountyLow3
Inyo County, CALow14
Lincoln CountyVery Low6

Common questions about Clark County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Clark County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Clark County, about $362 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Heat wave is second at $295 million.

How many federal disasters has Clark County had?

Clark County has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1981, including 4 major disasters. The most recent was Carpenter 1 Fire in July 2013.

Is Clark County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Very High, 1st highest of 17 in Nevada. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Clark County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 500 homes in Clark County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Clark County had?

NOAA records list 13 tornadoes in Clark County since 1950. The strongest was an F1 tornado on September 17, 1989. The weather service has also logged 106 hail reports and 398 floods here.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.