Berks County, Pennsylvania: hazard risk
FEMA rates Berks County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 92.7 of 100, higher than 92% of rated U.S. counties); 7 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, strong wind, lightning. Its storm record holds 2,021 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Very High | 99.4 | $2.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 97.9 | $4.9M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 95.6 | $1.9M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 94.8 | $69M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 93.2 | $8.8M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 91.5 | $1.8M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 90.6 | $7.1M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 94.5 | $5.0M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 92.5 | $12M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 91.6 | $67K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 91.3 | $6.1M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 76.9 | $310K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 67.7 | $477K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 38.0 | $21K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 32.6 | $122 |
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 | 886 | 0 | $4.0M | 14th of 67 | 391st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 297 | 9 | $10M | 11th of 67 | 253rd of 3,077 |
| Floods | 238 | 2 | $59M | 11th of 67 | 317th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 142 | 0 | – | 23rd of 67 | 1829th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 125 | 4 | $7.6M | 10th of 67 | 206th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 70 | 1 | – | 9th of 67 | 352nd of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 49 | 1 | $1.7M | 7th of 67 | 108th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 47 | 0 | $1K | 10th of 67 | 193rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 44 | 0 | – | 10th of 67 | 919th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 35 | 1 | $24M | 12th of 67 | 655th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 0 | $48M | 20th of 67 | 1612th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 10 | 0 | – | 6th of 67 | 250th of 2,972 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $137K | 16th of 67 | 890th of 1,849 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Berks County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.