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New York · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index

Franklin County, NY

3 FEMA disaster declarations (2020–2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Tropical Storm.

3
FEMA declarations
3
Major disasters
49
NRI risk · Relatively Low
Tropical Storm
Top hazard

FEMA's National Risk Index places Franklin County in the top 51% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 42% of all 2,729 counties tracked.

How does Franklin County compare?

Franklin County
3
New York county avg
3
National county avg
3.7

How disaster-prone is Franklin County?

Franklin County, New York has recorded 3 FEMA disaster declarations between 2020 and 2024, of which 3 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 0.8 declarations per year across a 4-year record, or roughly 2% above the New York county average of 3.0 and 20% below the national county average of 3.7.

The dominant disaster type on record is Tropical Storm, with 1 of 3 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's data shows an elevated National Risk Index composite of 48.9/100 for this county (Relatively Low rating). Expected Annual Loss comes in at Very Low (roughly $14.3M in annualized losses). Social vulnerability (Relatively Moderate) and community resilience (Relatively High) both factor into how that raw exposure plays out on the ground. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Ice Storm carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.

Taken together, Franklin 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

+2%

State avg: 3.0

vs. National Avg

-20%

National avg: 3.7

Avg Per Year

0.8

Over 4 years

FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Franklin County

Franklin County NRI risk profile 8-axis FEMA National Risk Index radar showing per-hazard composite scores for Earthquake 25, Flood 0, Hurricane 8, Tornado 8, Wildfire 8, Drought 0, Heat Wave 8, Winter Storm 48. Overall composite 13 of 100, classified Low. Earthquake Flood Hurricane Tornado Wildfire Drought Heat Wave Winter Storm 13 composite
Franklin County NRI risk profile FIPS 36033 · composite 13/100 (Low)
How to read this radar

The radar plots Franklin 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.

FEMA Records

3

Total declarations

NRI Source

FEMA 2023

Latest NRI release

County FIPS

36033

NY state code

Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release

Disaster Types

Tropical Storm 1
Severe Storm 1
Biological 1

Declaration Types

What DR / EM / FM mean

FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).

Major Disaster - 3 100.0%

of all 3 declarations

FEMA Declarations Timeline

Year Declarations
2024 1
2023 1
2020 1

Disaster Declarations

DR# Title Type Incident Date
4825 REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM DEBBY DR Tropical Storm 2024-09-24
4723 SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING DR Severe Storm 2023-07-22
4480 COVID-19 PANDEMIC DR Biological 2020-03-20

Storm Events in New York

Storm Type Events Fatalities Injuries Property Damage
Thunderstorm Wind 8,930 6 50 $51.9M
Winter Weather 2,595 10 25 $728.0K
Flash Flood 1,959 24 3 $676.3M
Strong Wind 1,657 4 13 $9.2M
Winter Storm 1,349 13 2 $4.9M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025

FEMA National Risk Index

Overall Risk

Relatively Low

Score: 48.9/100

Expected Annual Loss

Very Low

$14.3M/year

Social Vulnerability

Relatively Moderate

Community Resilience

Relatively High

Hazard Risk Breakdown

Ice Storm Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Landslide Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Hurricane Very Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Avalanche Very Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Tornado Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Hail Very Low
Drought 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

Frequently Asked Questions

How many natural disasters has Franklin County, New York had?
Franklin County, New York has received 3 FEMA disaster declarations from 2020 to 2024. Of these, 3 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Franklin County?
The most common disaster type in Franklin County is Tropical Storm, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (1), Biological (1).
How does Franklin County's disaster risk compare to the New York average?
Franklin County has 3 disaster declarations, which is 2% higher than the New York county average of 3.0 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 20% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Franklin County received?
Franklin County has received 3 major disaster declarations, representing 100% of all 3 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 (8,930 events), Winter Weather (2,595 events), Flash Flood (1,959 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Franklin County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Franklin County was 2020, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2020 to 2024.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Franklin County?
Franklin County's 3 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 Franklin County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Franklin County, New York has an overall risk score of 48.9 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 Very Low, representing $14.3M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Franklin County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Franklin County is Ice Storm (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Earthquake (Relatively Low) and Landslide (Relatively Low). 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 Franklin County

Franklin County, NY has 3 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a low historical disaster load, 2% above the New York county average.

  • Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (3 of 3) - 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.

All federal data sources used on this page
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 report a data error.