Pima County, Arizona: hazard risk
FEMA rates Pima County's overall risk Relatively High (score 99.1 of 100, higher than 99% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by heat wave, riverine flooding, lightning. Its storm record holds 2,809 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat Wave | Very High | 99.8 | $133M |
| Riverine Flooding | Very High | 99.5 | $347M |
| Lightning | Very High | 97.7 | $2.5M |
| Wildfire | Relatively High | 99.7 | $38M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 91.8 | $1.8M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 91.7 | $6.3M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 82.6 | $1.3M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 80.9 | $200K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 69.6 | $459K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 37.5 | $688K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 58.7 | $2K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 46.3 | $358 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 18.7 | $5K |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 3.1 | $150 |
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 | 803 | 0 | $82M | 2nd of 15 | 2509th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 575 | 22 | $47M | 2nd of 15 | 1701st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 490 | 642 | – | 3rd of 15 | 725th of 3,076 |
| Drought | 271 | 0 | – | 6th of 15 | 2086th of 3,063 |
| Hail | 190 | 0 | $2.9M | 3rd of 15 | 2759th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 118 | 3 | $335K | 11th of 15 | 2910th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 116 | 3 | $16M | 11th of 15 | 2393rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 78 | 3 | $1.6M | 1st of 15 | 949th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 67 | 0 | $234M | 6th of 15 | 492nd of 2,972 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 3 | $13M | 4th of 15 | 2739th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 27 | 20 | $2.3M | 3rd of 15 | 2638th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 19 | 0 | $958K | 9th of 15 | 1906th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 8 | 0 | $42K | 2nd of 15 | 359th of 2,278 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Pima County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.