Lehigh County, Pennsylvania: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lehigh County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 93.9 of 100, higher than 93% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, winter weather, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,342 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Very High | 98.9 | $30M |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 98.8 | $1.4M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 95.7 | $1.8M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 95.6 | $2.8M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 95.4 | $68M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 96.5 | $7.3M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 90.2 | $6.9M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 87.4 | $5.2M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 78.2 | $310K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 64.5 | $334K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 89.8 | $4.5M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 79.5 | $13K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 38.8 | $149K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 30.3 | $13K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 15.4 | $17 |
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 | 398 | 0 | $2.2M | 4th of 67 | 74th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 312 | 13 | $6.5M | 4th of 67 | 22nd of 3,077 |
| Floods | 126 | 1 | $52M | 6th of 67 | 95th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 119 | 4 | $7.3M | 4th of 67 | 56th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 93 | 0 | $235K | 8th of 67 | 1016th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 70 | 7 | – | 4th of 67 | 94th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 49 | 0 | – | 3rd of 67 | 47th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 43 | 0 | – | 3rd of 67 | 166th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 34 | 3 | – | 4th of 67 | 170th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 27 | 0 | $2.3M | 6th of 67 | 58th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 0 | $92M | 6th of 67 | 1162nd of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 7 | 0 | – | 3rd of 67 | 129th of 2,972 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $656K | 6th of 67 | 663rd 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 Lehigh County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.