Mercer County, Pennsylvania: hazard risk
FEMA rates Mercer County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 77.7 of 100, higher than 77% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning. Its storm record holds 960 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | 87.3 | $926K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 87.9 | $29M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 77.9 | $168K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 75.9 | $647K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 74.0 | $981K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 64.8 | $306K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 55.3 | $1.3M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 42.2 | $53K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 51.5 | $269K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 43.1 | $737 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 36.4 | $19K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 28.4 | $110K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 23.2 | $255K |
| Drought | 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 | 523 | 0 | $8.1M | 19th of 67 | 471st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 160 | 0 | $42K | 11th of 67 | 1352nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 108 | 0 | $1.1M | 34th of 67 | 977th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 105 | 0 | $1.8M | 25th of 67 | 667th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 9 | $84M | 11th of 67 | 1399th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 24 | 0 | $2.0M | 35th of 67 | 1211th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 0 | – | 40th of 67 | 1522nd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | – | 19th of 67 | 1415th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 2 | 0 | – | 61st of 67 | 2327th of 3,063 |
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.