Natural disaster rankings
Every ranking here measures one thing and says which: FEMA's declarations, the deaths and damage NOAA recorded, or days with a storm record per square mile. None combines measures into a score. The storm measures run through June 30, 2026, FEMA's declarations through October 2, 2026.
States
- Which state has the most natural disasters?FEMA declarations since 1953, with storm events since 1996
- The safest states from natural disastersFewest deaths per million residents since 1996
- The deadliest statesDeaths since 1996, total and per million
- The costliest statesStorm damage since 1996, 2025 dollars
- Most FEMA major disaster declarationsDR declarations since 1953
- Most natural-hazard injuriesSince 1996
Counties
By hazard: every state ranked
- Tornadoes by stateBy count and per square mile, with FEMA modeled risk
- Floods by stateBy count and per square mile, with FEMA modeled risk
- Hurricanes and tropical storms by stateBy count and per square mile, with FEMA modeled risk
- Wildfires by stateBy count and per square mile, with FEMA modeled risk
- Hail by stateBy count and per square mile, with FEMA modeled risk
- Severe thunderstorm wind by stateBy count and per square mile, with FEMA modeled risk
- Winter storms by stateBy count and per square mile, with FEMA modeled risk
- Heat by stateBy count and per square mile, with FEMA modeled risk
- Lightning by stateBy count and per square mile, with FEMA modeled risk
- Drought by stateBy count and per square mile, with FEMA modeled risk
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (through June 30, 2026), FEMA OpenFEMA (through October 2, 2026), FEMA National Risk Index (population), Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (land area); each ranking names its measure and period.