Albany County, New York: hazard risk
FEMA rates Albany County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 85.9 of 100, higher than 85% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, ice storm. Its storm record holds 1,729 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 | Relatively High | 88.9 | $1.2M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 86.0 | $700K |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 90.8 | $68K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 90.3 | $43M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 88.0 | $6.9M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 84.4 | $3.8M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 82.9 | $1.6M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 68.2 | $2.2M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 61.1 | $103K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 83.7 | $2.6M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 73.2 | $1.2M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 67.6 | $550K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 36.5 | $191 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 36.2 | $22K |
| Coastal Flooding | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
| Drought | 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 | 519 | 1 | $15M | 8th of 58 | 348th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 390 | 3 | $1.6M | 7th of 58 | 180th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 205 | 2 | $11M | 8th of 58 | 338th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 185 | 0 | $1.5M | 3rd of 58 | 696th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 172 | 0 | $1.8M | 7th of 58 | 157th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 118 | 0 | $822K | 4th of 58 | 89th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 92 | 0 | – | 3rd of 58 | 210th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 21 | 0 | $544K | 6th of 58 | 172nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 0 | $60M | 23rd of 58 | 2292nd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | – | 18th of 58 | 1255th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 5 | 0 | – | 31st of 58 | 2170th of 3,063 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 0 | – | 8th of 58 | 779th of 1,849 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | – | 8th of 58 | 908th of 2,972 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | $857K | 2nd of 58 | 269th of 2,278 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Albany County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.