Orleans County, New York: hazard risk
FEMA rates Orleans County's overall risk Very Low (score 17.9 of 100, higher than 17% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 364 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 Moderate | 63.1 | $158K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 48.9 | $257K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 39.9 | $5.0M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 37.2 | $388K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 29.5 | $412K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 27.6 | $103K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 51.9 | $89K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 36.7 | $127K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 28.3 | $125K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 22.6 | $21K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 22.4 | $302K |
| Drought | Very Low | 17.9 | $2K |
| Coastal Flooding | Very Low | 13.8 | $0 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 12.5 | $4K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 10.2 | $29 |
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 | 122 | 0 | $20M | 31st of 58 | 1247th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 79 | 0 | $8.6M | 33rd of 58 | 698th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 70 | 0 | $5.7M | 6th of 58 | 154th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 30 | 0 | $23M | 31st of 58 | 2257th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 28 | 0 | $4.3M | 41st of 58 | 1372nd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 21 | 0 | – | 17th of 58 | 508th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 0 | – | 39th of 58 | 1745th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 5 | 0 | – | 11th of 58 | 1881st of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 0 | $67K | 55th of 58 | 2772nd of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Orleans County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.