Cayuga County, New York: hazard risk
FEMA rates Cayuga County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 61.5 of 100, higher than 61% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm. Its storm record holds 874 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 86.7 | $726K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 78.1 | $19M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 72.2 | $152K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 62.0 | $825K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 64.7 | $363K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 59.2 | $394K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 56.7 | $242K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 47.6 | $229K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 42.4 | $275K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 39.2 | $876K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 47.7 | $263K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 45.9 | $1K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 32.4 | $18K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 29.7 | $113 |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 22.0 | $279K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 21.4 | $653 |
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 | 363 | 0 | $52M | 19th of 58 | 827th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 224 | 4 | $11M | 16th of 58 | 411th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 93 | 0 | $1.8M | 17th of 58 | 1892nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 69 | 1 | $11M | 39th of 58 | 1346th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 61 | 0 | $2.4M | 29th of 58 | 628th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 32 | 0 | $31K | 20th of 58 | 560th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 9 | 0 | – | 16th of 58 | 2001st of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $90K | 26th of 58 | 711th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 1 | $10M | 40th of 58 | 2532nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | – | 33rd of 58 | 1806th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 37th of 58 | 1669th 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 Cayuga County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.