Lancaster County, Pennsylvania: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lancaster County's overall risk Relatively High (score 95.0 of 100, higher than 95% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, riverine flooding, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,177 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 | Very High | 99.5 | $2.2M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 96.9 | $111M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 96.3 | $2.2M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 95.5 | $24M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 91.9 | $2.2M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 90.8 | $7.5M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 94.4 | $5.1M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 93.5 | $9.6M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 89.0 | $1.5M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 83.4 | $1.0M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 82.0 | $471K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 79.8 | $3.8M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 73.3 | $8K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 37.2 | $21K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 19.4 | $33 |
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 | 618 | 4 | $14M | 22nd of 67 | 505th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 192 | 0 | $7K | 13th of 67 | 1437th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 166 | 5 | $12M | 21st of 67 | 603rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 81 | 2 | $15K | 60th of 67 | 1726th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 39 | 0 | $64M | 4th of 67 | 1076th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 32 | 0 | $222K | 38th of 67 | 1270th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 14 | 0 | – | 22nd of 67 | 1818th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 13 | 1 | – | 20th of 67 | 1225th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 6 | 2 | $44K | 21st of 67 | 1044th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 0 | – | 67th of 67 | 2376th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 25th of 67 | 1889th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 0 | – | 33rd of 67 | 1032nd of 1,849 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Lancaster County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.