Bay County, Florida: hazard risk
FEMA rates Bay County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 94.1 of 100, higher than 94% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, lightning, tornado. Its storm record holds 888 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Very High | 98.7 | $118M |
| Lightning | Very High | 97.8 | $3.0M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 94.1 | $11M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.3 | $2.1M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 79.3 | $3.6M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 77.2 | $1.9M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 74.7 | $17M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 67.1 | $937K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 75.7 | $294K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 32.6 | $35K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 54.9 | $378K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 33.4 | $423 |
| Hail | Very Low | 20.4 | $76K |
| Drought | Very Low | 17.1 | $2K |
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 | 273 | 0 | $17M | 39th of 67 | 1581st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 181 | 0 | $22M | 8th of 67 | 857th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 92 | 4 | $107M | 10th of 67 | 38th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 68 | 0 | $2K | 29th of 67 | 2140th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 66 | 73 | – | 4th of 67 | 22nd of 2,080 |
| Drought | 66 | 0 | – | 14th of 67 | 1075th of 3,063 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 47 | 31 | $8.4B | 17th of 67 | 135th of 1,849 |
| Heat | 25 | 0 | – | 6th of 67 | 1042nd of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 23 | 5 | $1.0M | 25th of 67 | 220th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 1 | – | 36th of 67 | 922nd of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 8 | 0 | $17K | 21st of 67 | 267th of 2,972 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 0 | $101K | 40th of 67 | 2414th of 3,076 |
| Winter storms | 6 | 0 | $1.2M | 23rd of 67 | 2991st of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 0 | $5K | 56th of 67 | 2931st of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Bay County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.