Columbia County, Pennsylvania: hazard risk
FEMA rates Columbia County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 62.1 of 100, higher than 62% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 435 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 83.2 | $262K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 78.6 | $20M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 62.0 | $389K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 61.4 | $824K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 80.4 | $17K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 70.4 | $665K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 52.5 | $459K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 49.6 | $90K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 38.8 | $684K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 36.1 | $780K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 51.6 | $323K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 46.6 | $444 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 27.5 | $13K |
| Hail | Very Low | 13.0 | $46K |
| 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 | 224 | 0 | $881K | 28th of 67 | 637th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 73 | 0 | $62K | 35th of 67 | 981st of 3,077 |
| Hail | 49 | 0 | – | 27th of 67 | 2104th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 46 | 0 | $22M | 37th of 67 | 918th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 13 | 0 | $57K | 49th of 67 | 1509th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 11 | 0 | – | 15th of 67 | 1555th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 9 | 0 | $1.3M | 38th of 67 | 2084th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 0 | – | 57th of 67 | 1943rd of 3,076 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | – | 27th of 67 | 1600th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 0 | – | 20th of 67 | 915th of 1,849 |
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.