Northampton County, Pennsylvania: hazard risk
FEMA rates Northampton County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 90.0 of 100, higher than 89% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, riverine flooding, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,359 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 96.5 | $940K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 93.6 | $63M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 92.6 | $1.5M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 94.1 | $5.3M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 87.1 | $5.3M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 83.8 | $5.0M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 81.6 | $1.5M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 80.9 | $4.4M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 71.9 | $259K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 84.4 | $2.8M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 76.5 | $11K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 55.5 | $228K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 35.5 | $173 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 28.6 | $14K |
| Hail | Very Low | 26.7 | $107K |
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 | 390 | 1 | $5.0M | 3rd of 67 | 65th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 316 | 3 | $3.8M | 5th of 67 | 28th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 137 | 0 | $143M | 7th of 67 | 99th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 124 | 2 | $5.8M | 5th of 67 | 62nd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 69 | 0 | $356K | 10th of 67 | 1220th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 66 | 1 | – | 5th of 67 | 125th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 60 | 1 | $3.7M | 2nd of 67 | 8th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 43 | 0 | – | 4th of 67 | 204th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 42 | 0 | – | 4th of 67 | 68th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 36 | 1 | $12K | 5th of 67 | 173rd of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 19 | 1 | $1.7M | 1st of 67 | 25th of 2,972 |
| Tornadoes | 13 | 0 | $76M | 19th of 67 | 1574th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $984K | 7th of 67 | 678th 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 Northampton County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.