Columbia County, New York: hazard risk
FEMA rates Columbia County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 68.7 of 100, higher than 68% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 1,629 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 79.9 | $17M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 76.6 | $561K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 69.1 | $187K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 68.7 | $2.1M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 83.3 | $22K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 81.3 | $2.0M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 67.2 | $441K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 66.5 | $586K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 45.0 | $697K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 44.2 | $249K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 42.4 | $392K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 41.3 | $42K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 38.7 | $21K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 38.2 | $200 |
| Drought | Very Low | 16.9 | $2K |
| 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 | 595 | 0 | $3.1M | 14th of 58 | 619th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 349 | 6 | $2.4M | 13th of 58 | 345th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 186 | 0 | $508K | 11th of 58 | 188th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 130 | 0 | $173K | 7th of 58 | 114th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 107 | 0 | $19M | 21st of 58 | 874th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 102 | 0 | $9.5M | 25th of 58 | 2011th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 102 | 0 | – | 4th of 58 | 259th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 23 | 1 | $186K | 10th of 58 | 233rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 0 | $22M | 32nd of 58 | 2379th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 10 | 0 | – | 20th of 58 | 2027th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 0 | – | 21st of 58 | 1382nd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 0 | – | 10th of 58 | 824th of 1,849 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | – | 10th of 58 | 987th of 2,972 |
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.