Maricopa County, Arizona: hazard risk
FEMA rates Maricopa County's overall risk Very High (score 99.9 of 100, higher than 99% of rated U.S. counties); 7 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by heat wave, riverine flooding, hail. Its storm record holds 4,461 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Wave | Very High | 100.0 | $958M |
| Riverine Flooding | Very High | 99.9 | $1.1B |
| Hail | Very High | 99.5 | $24M |
| Strong Wind | Very High | 99.1 | $8.8M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 99.6 | $42M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 97.7 | $4.6M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 95.5 | $2.1M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 96.8 | $31M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 84.0 | $5.4M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 83.9 | $28K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 38.7 | $47K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 32.9 | $144 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 26.6 | $12K |
| Cold Wave | 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 | 1,520 | 5 | $719M | 1st of 15 | 2489th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 1,323 | 2,072 | – | 2nd of 15 | 598th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 661 | 19 | $86M | 5th of 15 | 2076th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 291 | 8 | $1.3M | 2nd of 15 | 1901st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 227 | 0 | $3.8B | 5th of 15 | 2787th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 145 | 0 | $2.4M | 3rd of 15 | 737th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 73 | 0 | $234M | 1st of 15 | 2560th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 62 | 2 | $4.5M | 2nd of 15 | 1075th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 34 | 2 | $129K | 13th of 15 | 3020th of 3,077 |
| Extreme cold | 15 | 0 | $155M | 6th of 15 | 2728th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 6 | 0 | $15M | 12th of 15 | 1211th 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 Maricopa County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.