Lee County, Florida: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lee County's overall risk Relatively High (score 99.0 of 100, higher than 99% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, lightning, coastal flooding. Its storm record holds 782 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Very High | 99.9 | $300M |
| Lightning | Very High | 99.8 | $8.1M |
| Coastal Flooding | Very High | 97.4 | $14M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 97.3 | $95M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 96.6 | $4.9M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 93.2 | $3.4M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 87.5 | $4.7M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 72.2 | $1.8M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 64.9 | $648K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 52.3 | $131K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 48.4 | $957 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 33.9 | $80K |
| Hail | Very Low | 24.3 | $69K |
| 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 | 229 | 0 | $38M | 25th of 67 | 1151st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 130 | 1 | $88M | 2nd of 67 | 4th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 122 | 0 | $83K | 12th of 67 | 1293rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 57 | 14 | $3.8M | 8th of 67 | 54th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 54 | 0 | $608M | 15th of 67 | 1254th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 42 | 63 | $10.9B | 25th of 67 | 169th of 1,849 |
| Wildfires | 17 | 0 | $118M | 13th of 67 | 144th of 2,972 |
| Extreme cold | 16 | 0 | $41M | 17th of 67 | 1122nd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 15 | 0 | – | 23rd of 67 | 561st of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 11 | 0 | $554K | 6th of 67 | 2178th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 4 | 4 | – | 23rd of 67 | 136th of 2,080 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | – | 19th of 67 | 1865th 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 Lee County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.