Cold Wave Risk in Alaska
All Alaska counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index cold wave score
Cold Wave risk — prolonged spells of dangerously low temperatures — is rated for 27 of 30 Alaska counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Kusilvak Census Area carries the state's highest cold wave score at 97.8, with $11M in expected annual cold wave losses.
7 Alaska counties are rated High or Very High for cold wave, and expected annual losses from cold wave total roughly $80M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Cold Wave
| # | County | Cold Wave Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kusilvak Census Area | High | 3.76 / yr | $11M | |
| 2 | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | High | 5.07 / yr | $9M | |
| 3 | Northwest Arctic Borough | High | 9.76 / yr | $9M | |
| 4 | Fairbanks North Star Borough | High | 3.37 / yr | $20M | |
| 5 | Bethel Census Area | High | 4.54 / yr | $7M | |
| 6 | Dillingham Census Area | High | 2.57 / yr | $6M | |
| 7 | Nome Census Area | High | 10.10 / yr | $5M | |
| 8 | North Slope Borough | Medium | 9.97 / yr | $4M | |
| 9 | Southeast Fairbanks Census Area | Medium | 4.94 / yr | $2M | |
| 10 | Denali Borough | Low | 6.33 / yr | $2M | |
| 11 | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | Low | 4.02 / yr | $2M | |
| 12 | Chugach Census Area | Low | 1.64 / yr | $1M | |
| 13 | Bristol Bay Borough | Low | 2.84 / yr | $491K | |
| 14 | Lake and Peninsula Borough | Low | 2.29 / yr | $296K | |
| 15 | Copper River Census Area | Low | 2.83 / yr | $254K | |
| 16 | Skagway Municipality | Low | 8.79 / yr | $351K | |
| 17 | Anchorage Municipality | Low | 0.06 / yr | $492K | |
| 18 | Kenai Peninsula Borough | Very Low | 1.14 / yr | $129K | |
| 19 | Juneau City and Borough | Very Low | 0.28 / yr | $154K | |
| 20 | Haines Borough | Very Low | 1.14 / yr | $74K | |
| 21 | Hoonah-Angoon Census Area | Very Low | 0.10 / yr | $7K | |
| 22 | Petersburg Borough | Very Low | 0.10 / yr | $6K | |
| 23 | Wrangell City and Borough | Very Low | 0.03 / yr | $3K | |
| 24 | Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | Very Low | 0.02 / yr | $1K | |
| 25 | Aleutians West Census Area | Very Low | 0.01 / yr | $395 | |
| 26 | Sitka City and Borough | Very Low | 0.03 / yr | $37 | |
| 27 | Yakutat City and Borough | Very Low | 0.13 / yr | $1 |
27 Alaska counties with measurable cold wave risk. See the national cold wave ranking or all Alaska counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Alaska county has the highest cold wave risk?
Kusilvak Census Area has the highest FEMA cold wave risk score in Alaska at 97.8 (High), with $11M in expected annual losses and about 3.76 events per year.
How many Alaska counties face significant cold wave risk?
27 Alaska counties record measurable cold wave risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 7 of them are rated High or Very High.