Niagara County, New York: hazard risk
FEMA rates Niagara County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 83.4 of 100, higher than 83% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm. Its storm record holds 591 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 87.4 | $760K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 91.0 | $45M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 76.9 | $664K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 73.5 | $1.1M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 69.7 | $2.2M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 65.9 | $658K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 58.6 | $568K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 56.1 | $83K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 52.4 | $1.4M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 42.3 | $202K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 57.2 | $157K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 33.8 | $19K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 31.2 | $6K |
| Drought | Very Low | 17.7 | $2K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 11.5 | $36 |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 6.3 | $3 |
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 | 241 | 0 | $8.5M | 22nd of 58 | 906th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 90 | 2 | $15M | 43rd of 58 | 917th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 81 | 0 | $8.9M | 13th of 58 | 196th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 75 | 0 | $6.6M | 24th of 58 | 2001st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 61 | 0 | $16M | 20th of 58 | 861st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 23 | 0 | – | 21st of 58 | 577th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $432K | 22nd of 58 | 523rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 5 | 0 | – | 19th of 58 | 2019th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 0 | $424K | 38th of 58 | 2513th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 31st of 58 | 1498th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 0 | $37K | 7th of 58 | 183rd 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 Niagara County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.