Alachua County, Florida: hazard risk
FEMA rates Alachua County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 90.3 of 100, higher than 90% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, hurricane, tornado. Its storm record holds 920 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Very High | 97.7 | $2.9M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 96.7 | $34M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 90.3 | $7.7M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 95.2 | $3.8M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 88.6 | $35M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 86.3 | $2.3M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 80.9 | $1.4M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 65.6 | $649K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 58.3 | $1.4M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 41.3 | $77K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 35.1 | $474 |
| Hail | Very Low | 17.9 | $65K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 12.5 | $10K |
| Coastal Flooding | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 459 | 2 | $4.5M | 10th of 67 | 549th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 141 | 0 | – | 19th of 67 | 1634th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 93 | 0 | – | 6th of 67 | 120th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 48 | 0 | $2.6M | 29th of 67 | 1669th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 45 | 1 | $36M | 36th of 67 | 635th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 29 | 11 | $29K | 4th of 67 | 61st of 2,972 |
| Lightning | 26 | 0 | $930K | 26th of 67 | 261st of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 19 | 4 | – | 52nd of 67 | 333rd of 1,849 |
| Drought | 12 | 0 | – | 38th of 67 | 2126th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 0 | $40K | 14th of 67 | 2473rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 4 | 0 | – | 17th of 67 | 2980th of 3,077 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 0 | – | 32nd of 67 | 217th of 2,080 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 0 | – | 53rd of 67 | 2751st of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Alachua County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.