Jefferson County, New York: hazard risk
FEMA rates Jefferson County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 64.0 of 100, higher than 63% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather. Its storm record holds 699 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 High | 93.5 | $618K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 81.5 | $502K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 78.7 | $1.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 78.0 | $19M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 71.5 | $952K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 64.5 | $1.8M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 46.2 | $222K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 27.9 | $485K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 53.2 | $111K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 47.5 | $1K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 33.6 | $179K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 28.0 | $14K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 16.2 | $0 |
| Hail | Very Low | 7.6 | $24K |
| 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 | 292 | 0 | $33M | 54th of 58 | 2199th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 225 | 1 | $31M | 39th of 58 | 825th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 65 | 1 | $144M | 36th of 58 | 929th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 41 | 1 | $8.6M | 54th of 58 | 2145th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 38 | 0 | $54K | 34th of 58 | 829th of 3,076 |
| Hail | 27 | 0 | $195K | 57th of 58 | 2766th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 0 | $7.7M | 52nd of 58 | 2732nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 2 | 0 | – | 53rd of 58 | 2419th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $484 | 52nd of 58 | 2049th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 55th of 58 | 2293rd of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 15th of 58 | 1185th 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 Jefferson County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.