Chautauqua County, New York: hazard risk
FEMA rates Chautauqua County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 84.6 of 100, higher than 84% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, strong wind. Its storm record holds 1,169 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 | 89.7 | $952K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 84.4 | $1.3M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 91.3 | $36M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 76.1 | $2.7M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 74.0 | $129K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 68.3 | $1.6M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 66.7 | $149K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 68.8 | $432K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 57.5 | $2K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 43.3 | $152K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 43.1 | $26K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 29.9 | $109K |
| Hail | Very Low | 29.1 | $93K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 23.6 | $1K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 14.2 | $14 |
| 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 | 537 | 0 | $7.0M | 26th of 58 | 1036th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 223 | 1 | $26M | 30th of 58 | 659th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 122 | 0 | $62M | 26th of 58 | 1071st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 95 | 0 | $8.0M | 25th of 58 | 430th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 90 | 0 | $775K | 35th of 58 | 2351st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 38 | 0 | $135K | 27th of 58 | 739th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 29 | 2 | $67M | 6th of 58 | 1861st of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 15 | 0 | – | 22nd of 58 | 1385th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 8 | 0 | $168K | 5th of 58 | 119th of 2,080 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $202K | 39th of 58 | 1131st of 3,080 |
| Drought | 3 | 0 | – | 48th of 58 | 2336th of 3,063 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Chautauqua County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.