Pinellas County, Florida: hazard risk
FEMA rates Pinellas County's overall risk Relatively High (score 98.2 of 100, higher than 98% of rated U.S. counties); 7 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, coastal flooding, tornado. Its storm record holds 993 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Very High | 99.8 | $8.9M |
| Coastal Flooding | Very High | 99.2 | $25M |
| Tornado | Very High | 99.0 | $33M |
| Hurricane | Very High | 98.9 | $110M |
| Cold Wave | Very High | 98.8 | $26M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 96.9 | $91M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 94.3 | $2.2M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 95.5 | $5.6M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 65.6 | $706K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 81.1 | $377K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 66.9 | $560K |
| Drought | Very Low | 20.6 | $4K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 17.6 | $73 |
| 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 | 280 | 2 | $6.8M | 1st of 67 | 20th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 175 | 9 | $17M | 1st of 67 | 1st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 147 | 11 | $404M | 1st of 67 | 1st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 112 | 0 | $595K | 1st of 67 | 47th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 60 | 3 | $1.0B | 1st of 67 | 6th of 1,849 |
| Floods | 55 | 0 | $14M | 2nd of 67 | 257th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 30 | 3 | $366K | 5th of 67 | 88th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 19 | 14 | – | 6th of 67 | 27th of 2,080 |
| Extreme cold | 9 | 0 | $1.6M | 15th of 67 | 846th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 0 | $155K | 2nd of 67 | 1434th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 0 | $9K | 17th of 67 | 193rd 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 Pinellas County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.