Hillsborough County, Florida: hazard risk
FEMA rates Hillsborough County's overall risk Relatively High (score 98.8 of 100, higher than 98% of rated U.S. counties); 8 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, tornado, cold wave. Its storm record holds 1,355 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 | 99.7 | $8.1M |
| Tornado | Very High | 99.7 | $77M |
| Cold Wave | Very High | 99.5 | $54M |
| Hurricane | Very High | 99.3 | $178M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 97.8 | $5.7M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 97.8 | $146M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 97.0 | $9.4M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 92.4 | $7.8M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 95.7 | $4.4M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 83.0 | $1.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 82.1 | $1.4M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 68.5 | $735K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 64.4 | $4K |
| 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 | 481 | 2 | $23M | 8th of 67 | 526th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 287 | 0 | $31M | 4th of 67 | 386th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 149 | 1 | $100M | 5th of 67 | 17th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 108 | 10 | $8.5M | 4th of 67 | 29th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 96 | 1 | $40M | 12th of 67 | 1075th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 55 | 7 | $381M | 28th of 67 | 181st of 1,849 |
| Extreme cold | 52 | 0 | $112M | 10th of 67 | 531st of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 39 | 0 | $18K | 17th of 67 | 360th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 10 | 0 | $97K | 7th of 67 | 2355th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 7 | 0 | – | 32nd of 67 | 395th of 2,972 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 3 | 3 | – | 25th of 67 | 161st of 2,080 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | – | 27th of 67 | 2202nd of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Hillsborough County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.