Palm Beach County, Florida: hazard risk
FEMA rates Palm Beach County's overall risk Relatively High (score 99.2 of 100, higher than 99% of rated U.S. counties); 9 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, lightning, riverine flooding. Its storm record holds 1,499 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 | Very High | 99.9 | $287M |
| Lightning | Very High | 99.8 | $8.9M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 98.9 | $179M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 98.2 | $13M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 94.1 | $2.0M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 93.8 | $8.6M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 93.4 | $7.5M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 93.2 | $2.1M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 92.4 | $7.2M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 95.3 | $3.2M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 77.5 | $10K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 43.9 | $176K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 44.9 | $173K |
| 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 | 308 | 1 | $1.6M | 52nd of 67 | 2165th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 198 | 1 | $263M | 15th of 67 | 80th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 172 | 0 | $1.7M | 37th of 67 | 2281st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 137 | 2 | $237M | 21st of 67 | 1512th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 119 | 0 | $167M | 21st of 67 | 1410th of 3,063 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 112 | 43 | $26M | 10th of 67 | 39th of 2,080 |
| Lightning | 83 | 10 | $30M | 18th of 67 | 170th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 82 | 7 | $17.1B | 47th of 67 | 312th of 1,849 |
| Extreme cold | 41 | 0 | $183M | 19th of 67 | 1322nd of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 2 | $553K | 16th of 67 | 2493rd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 0 | $49K | 49th of 67 | 1275th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 8 | 0 | $87K | 36th of 67 | 584th of 2,972 |
| Heat | 5 | 1 | – | 32nd of 67 | 2250th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Palm Beach County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.