Highlands County, Florida: hazard risk
FEMA rates Highlands County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 89.4 of 100, higher than 89% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 13 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, hurricane, lightning. Its storm record holds 351 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Very High | 99.8 | $13M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 95.7 | $16M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 95.3 | $1.1M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 92.7 | $1.3M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 82.5 | $2.6M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 78.4 | $11M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 75.4 | $1.6M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 73.1 | $365K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 72.6 | $596K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 41.6 | $110K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 30.8 | $194 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 28.0 | $36K |
| Winter Weather | 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 | 101 | 0 | $2.0M | 58th of 67 | 2377th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 60 | 0 | $504K | 47th of 67 | 2504th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 49 | 2 | $20M | 44th of 67 | 1015th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 38 | 0 | $24M | 12th of 67 | 708th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 18 | 4 | $519M | 55th of 67 | 350th of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 16 | 3 | $947K | 37th of 67 | 464th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 13 | 0 | $2.8M | 61st of 67 | 2613th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 0 | – | 44th of 67 | 1031st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 0 | $901M | 30th of 67 | 2674th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | – | 44th of 67 | 900th 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 Highlands County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.