Escambia County, Florida: hazard risk
FEMA rates Escambia County's overall risk Relatively High (score 95.1 of 100, higher than 95% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, hurricane. Its storm record holds 745 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 | Very High | 99.0 | $4.3M |
| Hurricane | Very High | 98.8 | $121M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 94.1 | $4.8M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 88.7 | $33M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 81.7 | $4.0M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 76.8 | $1.8M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 71.2 | $2.6M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 61.9 | $94K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 82.6 | $533K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 68.6 | $711K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 59.6 | $365K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 52.4 | $167K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 46.1 | $476K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 45.9 | $1K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 26.6 | $25K |
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 | 295 | 1 | $3.6M | 11th of 67 | 608th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 99 | 0 | $71M | 4th of 67 | 10th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 84 | 1 | $191M | 7th of 67 | 839th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 80 | 0 | $45K | 23rd of 67 | 1888th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 55 | 45 | $67K | 5th of 67 | 26th of 2,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 44 | 10 | $8.8B | 26th of 67 | 175th of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 42 | 6 | $611K | 9th of 67 | 70th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 8 | 0 | – | 6th of 67 | 2923rd of 3,077 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | – | 48th of 67 | 1224th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 0 | $58K | 22nd of 67 | 2603rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 4 | 0 | – | 40th of 67 | 2323rd of 3,063 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | – | 23rd of 67 | 2082nd of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 0 | – | 52nd of 67 | 2710th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | $34K | 47th of 67 | 1002nd 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 Escambia County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.