Okeechobee County, Florida: hazard risk
FEMA rates Okeechobee County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 80.3 of 100, higher than 80% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, strong wind, lightning. Its storm record holds 158 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 93.5 | $9.6M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 90.4 | $1.3M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 89.7 | $727K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 89.9 | $855K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 80.3 | $12M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 57.0 | $772K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 48.6 | $82K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 46.5 | $195K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 44.2 | $638K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 23.3 | $102 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 22.9 | $23K |
| Hail | Very Low | 12.6 | $26K |
| Coastal Flooding | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
| Winter Weather | 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 | 52 | 0 | $581K | 62nd of 67 | 2481st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 46 | 0 | $6K | 44th of 67 | 2454th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 27 | 8 | $29M | 55th of 67 | 1634th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 9 | 0 | $191M | 62nd of 67 | 438th of 1,849 |
| Floods | 6 | 0 | $194K | 65th of 67 | 2801st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 0 | $5.3M | 34th of 67 | 2257th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 0 | $79M | 27th of 67 | 2656th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 34th of 67 | 2279th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | $12K | 52nd of 67 | 1059th 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 Okeechobee County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.