FEMA Records
2
Total declarations
New York · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Columbia County, NY
2 FEMA disaster declarations (2020–2021), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Hurricane.
- 2
- FEMA declarations
- 1
- Major disasters
- 69
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Hurricane
- Top hazard
The verdict
Columbia County ranks in the riskiest 31% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 22% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively Low, based on 2 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2020, most often hurricane, 48% below the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 31%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 2
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 1
- hurricane declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does Columbia County compare?
Columbia County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
2 22nd percentile higher than 22% of 2,791 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-07-25
Columbia County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the New York county average
How disaster-prone is Columbia County?
Declaration frequency
Columbia County, New York has recorded 2 FEMA disaster declarations between 2020 and 2021, of which 1 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 2.0 declarations per year across a 1-year record, or roughly 32% below the New York county average of 3.0 and 48% below the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Hurricane, with 1 of 2 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 68.7/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $24.6M in annualized losses), and a Relatively Moderate social-vulnerability profile combined with Relatively High community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Even the county's top-rated hazard, Landslide, only reaches Relatively Low on FEMA's scale, none of the 18 modeled hazards stand out here.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, Columbia County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. New York Avg
-32%
State avg: 3.0
vs. National Avg
-48%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
2.0
Over 1 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Columbia County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Columbia County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
36021
NY state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Hurricane 1
Biological 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Emergency - 1 50.0%
of all 2 declarations
Major Disaster - 1 50.0%
of all 2 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3565 | HURRICANE HENRI | EM | Hurricane | 2021-08-22 |
| 4480 | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR | Biological | 2020-03-20 |
Storm Events in New York
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 9,668 | 6 | 53 | $53.9M |
| Winter Weather | 2,891 | 10 | 26 | $778.0K |
| Flash Flood | 2,004 | 24 | 3 | $677.0M |
| Strong Wind | 1,764 | 4 | 13 | $9.4M |
| Winter Storm | 1,561 | 17 | 4 | $5.2M |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 68.7/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$24.6M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively Moderate
Community Resilience
Relatively High
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Relatively Low
Hurricane Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Hail Relatively Low
Earthquake Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Wildfire Very Low
Avalanche Very Low
Drought Very Low
Coastal Flooding No Rating
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in New York
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Columbia County, New York had?
Columbia County, New York has received 2 FEMA disaster declarations from 2020 to 2021. Of these, 1 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Columbia County?
The most common disaster type in Columbia County is Hurricane, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Biological (1).
How does Columbia County's disaster risk compare to the New York average?
Columbia County has 2 disaster declarations, which is 32% lower than the New York county average of 3.0 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 48% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Columbia County received?
Columbia County has received 1 major disaster declaration, representing 50% of all 2 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in New York?
The most common storm types in New York include Thunderstorm Wind (9,668 events), Winter Weather (2,891 events), Flash Flood (2,004 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Columbia County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Columbia County was 2020, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2020 to 2021.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Columbia County?
Columbia County's 2 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Columbia County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Columbia County, New York has an overall risk score of 68.7 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively Moderate and community resilience is Relatively High. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $24.6M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Columbia County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Columbia County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Low). Other significant hazards include Hurricane (Relatively Low) and Lightning (Relatively Moderate). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Columbia County
Columbia County, NY runs 32% below the New York county average for federal disaster declarations (2 vs 3), a low historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is emergency (1 of 2) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. New York overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.