Jefferson County, Pennsylvania: hazard risk
FEMA rates Jefferson County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 57.9 of 100, higher than 57% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning. Its storm record holds 775 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 | Relatively High | 86.8 | $717K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 80.2 | $150K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 74.5 | $11M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 79.9 | $11K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 69.8 | $404K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 48.0 | $369K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 46.6 | $587K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 31.2 | $386K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 35.4 | $81K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 26.1 | $18K |
| Hail | Very Low | 17.4 | $43K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 16.4 | $4K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 15.5 | $14 |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 13.7 | $22K |
| 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 | 385 | 0 | $5.2M | 34th of 67 | 755th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 115 | 0 | $111K | 28th of 67 | 882nd of 3,077 |
| Floods | 109 | 0 | $194M | 32nd of 67 | 846th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 79 | 0 | – | 28th of 67 | 2124th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 38 | 0 | $1.2M | 23rd of 67 | 844th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 18 | 0 | – | 17th of 67 | 935th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 17 | 1 | $4.5M | 32nd of 67 | 1966th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 0 | – | 14th of 67 | 923rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $21K | 26th of 67 | 1302nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 2 | 0 | – | 59th of 67 | 2318th of 3,063 |
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.