Columbia County, Florida: hazard risk
FEMA rates Columbia County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 69.7 of 100, higher than 69% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning. Its storm record holds 468 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 | 94.2 | $1.3M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 90.4 | $6.3M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 66.8 | $1.8M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 88.1 | $795K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 76.2 | $952K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 68.2 | $9.4M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 49.7 | $421K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 45.5 | $618K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 58.3 | $321K |
| Drought | Very Low | 27.8 | $14K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 27.4 | $189 |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 13.4 | $8K |
| Hail | Very Low | 5.4 | $11K |
| Coastal Flooding | 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 | 239 | 1 | $701K | 29th of 67 | 1276th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 55 | 0 | – | 36th of 67 | 2256th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 49 | 0 | – | 11th of 67 | 183rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 26 | 0 | $4.8M | 46th of 67 | 2180th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 2 | $17M | 51st of 67 | 1466th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 23 | 0 | – | 31st of 67 | 1891st of 3,063 |
| Wildfires | 17 | 0 | $15M | 10th of 67 | 120th of 2,972 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 14 | 1 | – | 58th of 67 | 385th of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 10 | 2 | $60K | 39th of 67 | 565th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 4 | 0 | – | 13th of 67 | 2967th of 3,077 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Columbia County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.