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Risk: Very Low

Pershing County, NV Environment & Hazard Risk

Very Low natural hazard risk, led by wildfire. 248 storm events since 1996.

Expected yearly loss
$2.3M
Very Low nationally
Storm events since 1996
248
Most often high wind
Flood insurance policies
3
0.1% of homes
Hurricanes nearby
0
Since 1851

Natural hazard risk

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025

Overall risk

Very Low

Score 6.0 of 100

Social vulnerability

Relatively High

Score 75.4 of 100

Community resilience

Very Low

Score 0.6 of 100

Community resilience runs the other way: a higher rating means a community can recover faster.

Building value exposed: $1.1B · Agriculture value exposed: $43.5M · Risk-adjusted yearly loss: $3.5M

Risk by hazard

  • WildfireRelatively Low$630K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 170 years
  • DroughtRelatively Moderate$522K/yr expected annual loss, about 163 events a year
  • EarthquakeVery Low$247K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 41 years
  • LandslideVery Low$1,221/yr expected annual loss, about 3.4 events a year
  • AvalancheVery Low$308/yr expected annual loss, about once every 100 years
  • Heat waveVery Low$105K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.6 events a year
  • Volcanic activityVery Low$2/yr expected annual loss, about once every 909 years
  • Winter weatherRelatively Low$16.4K/yr expected annual loss, about 7.3 events a year
  • Ice stormVery Low$6,649/yr expected annual loss, about once every 67 years
  • LightningVery Low$25.9K/yr expected annual loss, about 17 events a year
  • Cold waveVery Low$0/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1,670,390 years
  • Strong windVery Low$5,601/yr expected annual loss, about once every 9 years
  • HailVery Low$1,070/yr expected annual loss, about once every 37 years
  • TornadoVery Low$547/yr expected annual loss, about once every 11 years

Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: coastal flooding, hurricane, riverine flooding, tsunami.

Flood risk and insurance

National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA flood maps

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance
3 of 2,037 (0.1%)
Homes in high-risk flood zones
7
Insured in high-risk zones
0 (0%)
Flood claims since 1978
4
Claims paid since 1978
$18.9K

Storm history

Since 1996: 248 events, 6 deaths, $2.5M in damage

  • High Wind107 · 1 death
  • Dust Storm33 · 1 death
  • Heavy Snow26
  • Thunderstorm Wind22
  • Strong Wind13 · 1 death
  • Winter Weather11
  • Dense Fog9
  • Heavy Rain7
  • Wildfire5
  • Flood4
Beta

Events per year

Storm events per year in Pershing County
4
12
6
4
3
5
5
2
1
3
10
15
3
3
10
19
17
9
16
6
Beta

Most damaging storms

Since 1996, ranked by deaths, injuries and damage

  • Winter Storm03/08/2002

    Pershing/Churchill/X SE Washoe/Nc&ne Lyon

    2 deaths, $150K damage

    What happened

    NHP reported a multi vehicle accident resulting in two deaths. Between 4:30 and 5:00 pm, a snowstorm hit the Fernley area reducing visibility to 1/4 mile. One semi lost control and spun out on I-80 about 6 miles east of Fernley, blocking the lanes and causing other vehicles to stop. Two sedans, a pickup, and another semi were all stopped when a third semi also lost control and was unable to stop. It overturned and crushed one of the sedans, killing both occupants. The driver was a 47 year old female from Winnemucca, NV., and her passenger was a 56 year old male, also from Winnemucca. The two sedans and pickup were totalled and two of the semis had moderate damage. Damage was estimated at $150,000.

  • Dust Storm11/20/2009

    Western Nevada Basin and Range

    1 death, 7 injured, $50K damage

    What happened

    The Nevada Highway Patrol reported that, at 1218PST, near zero visibility caused a large accident on westbound Interstate 80 about 20 miles east of Fernley. The accident involved 4 tractor trailer rigs, 3 pickups, and an SUV and caused one fatality along with 7 injuries. Elsewhere, there were numerous trees and power lines down as well as major damage to one house in Fernley (due to fallen tree).||Here are some high wind gusts which contributed to the dust storm: Pyramid Lake Fisheries with 60 mph at 1045PST, Silver Springs AWOS with 70 mph at 1315PST, and the Fallon ASOS with 59 mph at 1344PST.

  • High Wind61 kt wind11/07/2002

    Western Nevada Basin and Range

    1 death, 6 injured, $250K damage

    What happened

    Strong wind gusts estimated at 70 mph caused near zero visibility from blowing dust on U.S Highway 95 Alternate just south of Silver Springs in Lyon County. An 11 vehicle pile-up, including one semi-trailer rig , resulted from the reduced visibility. One person was killed in the accident and five others were injured.

  • Dust Storm08/03/2000

    Pershing/Churchill/X SE Washoe/Nc&ne Lyon

    15 injured, $80K damage

    What happened

    Spotter report of dust storm that reduced visibility to 1/4 mile. This storm caused a 16 car pileup that injured 15 people with an estimated damage amount of $80,000.

  • Ice Storm12/21/2006

    Western Nevada Basin and Range

    1 death, $5,000 damage

    What happened

    Icy conditions along Interstate 80 in Churchill County contributed to numerous traffic accidents. A woman was killed in an accident when her automobile hit a slick section of I-80. Her car went off the road and overturned approximately 17 miles east of Fernley just inside the Churchill County line.

  • Strong Wind30 kt wind05/12/2018

    Western Nevada Basin and Range

    1 death

    What happened

    A wave of rain showers passed through Pyramid Lake and brought northerly winds sustained to around 30 mph with gusts to 34 mph. A boater drowned at approximately 1030PST on 12 May when winds were determined to have peaked based on local observations near Sutcliffe along the shore of Pyramid Lake.

Drinking water

4 community water systems serve about 5,652 people. Violations since 2021.

None of the systems serving this county had a health-based violation in this period.

Largest systems by population served. Monitoring and reporting violations mean required tests or notices were late or missing, not that the water was unsafe.

Pollution sites

0 Superfund sites and 3 toxic release facilities in Pershing County

Superfund sites

None in this county.

Toxic release facilities

Total: 2.5 million lbs in 2024, 24,752 lbs to air.

Superfund sitesToxic release facilitiesEPA inspections and enforcementAir toxics cancer risk5 historic places

Frequently asked questions

How risky is Pershing County for natural disasters?
FEMA rates Pershing County very low for overall natural hazard risk, with expected losses of $2.3M a year. The highest-rated hazards are wildfire (relatively low), drought (relatively moderate), earthquake (very low).
What storms are most common in Pershing County?
Since 1996, NOAA recorded 248 storm events affecting Pershing County, most often high wind (107), dust storm (33), heavy snow (26).
How many homes in Pershing County have flood insurance?
3 residential flood insurance policies are in force in Pershing County, covering about 0.1% of homes. The program has paid $18.9K on 4 claims here since 1978.
What is the weather like in Pershing County?
At Rye Patch Dam, average highs reach 95°F in Jul and lows fall to 18°F in Dec, with 8.3 inches of rain a year (1991-2020 normals).

Source: FEMA (National Risk Index, NFIP), NOAA (Storm Events, HURDAT2, Climate Normals), EPA · Last updated 08/01/2026 · Storm counts include events in forecast zones that touch the county. This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.

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