Natural hazards · Fernley

Fernley, NV natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Fernley comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is moderate for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 2 claims here since 2017. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Fernley?

Moderate

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Fernley to be higher than in 58% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes44%Inland flooding42%Heat waves6%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Fernley faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Earthquakes

44% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

42% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 54% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 79% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDroughtVolcanic activity

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingHurricanesCold wavesAvalanchesTsunamis

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Fernley flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Fernley, from FEMA’s records.

2paid claims since 2017

$8Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20172026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Fernley isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Lyon County.

Disasters that hit Fernley

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Fernley itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Fernley.

Brought FEMA money into FernleyDeclared for Lyon County only

2008

Severe Winter Storms and Flooding

321 households applied for aid $1.9M aid approved $617K to the City of Fernley for repairs

Lyon County has had 12 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Fernley covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Fernley’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Fernley. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Fernley total about $7.0M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.