Cattaraugus County, New York: hazard risk
FEMA rates Cattaraugus County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 81.6 of 100, higher than 81% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning. Its storm record holds 979 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 | 86.5 | $737K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 89.9 | $29M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 74.7 | $822K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 68.4 | $1.8M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 66.1 | $83K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 80.2 | $12K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 68.1 | $377K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 59.3 | $1.0M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 50.0 | $63K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 35.5 | $85K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 35.2 | $120 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 35.1 | $14K |
| Hail | Very Low | 31.0 | $93K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 21.1 | $51K |
| 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 | 485 | 0 | $5.9M | 43rd of 58 | 1660th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 215 | 0 | $25M | 42nd of 58 | 909th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 103 | 1 | $97M | 45th of 58 | 1483rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 64 | 0 | $617K | 51st of 58 | 2606th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 45 | 0 | $5.0M | 43rd of 58 | 1254th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 29 | 0 | $81K | 43rd of 58 | 1078th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 19 | 0 | $31M | 30th of 58 | 2361st of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 13 | 0 | – | 34th of 58 | 1639th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 3 | 0 | – | 51st of 58 | 2377th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $70K | 49th of 58 | 1819th 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 Cattaraugus County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.