Mercer County, New Jersey: hazard risk
FEMA rates Mercer County's overall risk Relatively High (score 95.4 of 100, higher than 95% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, winter weather, ice storm. Its storm record holds 1,167 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Very High | 99.5 | $13M |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 97.7 | $1.1M |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 96.3 | $1.9M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 97.2 | $114M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 94.6 | $18M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 93.5 | $1.5M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 95.8 | $6.8M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 94.0 | $11M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 85.2 | $4.8M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 81.9 | $4.1M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 73.4 | $216K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 62.1 | $305K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 56.8 | $329K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 53.5 | $2K |
| Hail | Very Low | 29.5 | $110K |
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 | 275 | 0 | $3.5M | 3rd of 20 | 19th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 225 | 1 | $5.2M | 1st of 20 | 15th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 137 | 4 | $265M | 8th of 20 | 25th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 128 | 4 | $135M | 3rd of 20 | 17th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 92 | 5 | – | 2nd of 20 | 10th of 3,076 |
| Hail | 63 | 0 | – | 5th of 20 | 641st of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 52 | 0 | – | 3rd of 20 | 15th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 44 | 0 | – | 1st of 20 | 45th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 38 | 0 | $2.4M | 3rd of 20 | 9th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 31 | 0 | – | 2nd of 20 | 98th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 18 | 0 | $14M | 2nd of 20 | 175th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 6 | 0 | – | 5th of 20 | 87th of 2,972 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 0 | $656K | 14th of 20 | 407th of 1,849 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 2 | 0 | – | 12th of 20 | 113th of 2,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Mercer County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.