Rensselaer County, New York: hazard risk
FEMA rates Rensselaer County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 82.2 of 100, higher than 82% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 1,630 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 93.7 | $2.5M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 89.0 | $37M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 80.2 | $756K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 78.3 | $1.3M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 76.6 | $3.4M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 70.7 | $240K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 65.5 | $114K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 79.4 | $1.8M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 72.7 | $8K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 63.3 | $568K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 57.6 | $549K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 52.7 | $1.1M |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 41.5 | $302 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 29.3 | $14K |
| Coastal Flooding | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
| Drought | 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 | 553 | 1 | $4.1M | 9th of 58 | 378th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 389 | 1 | $1.3M | 10th of 58 | 278th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 184 | 0 | $1.3M | 9th of 58 | 183rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 133 | 0 | $115K | 7th of 58 | 1188th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 130 | 0 | $42K | 5th of 58 | 104th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 117 | 0 | $20M | 18th of 58 | 757th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 87 | 0 | – | 7th of 58 | 296th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 13 | 0 | $398K | 14th of 58 | 368th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 10 | 0 | $20M | 26th of 58 | 2328th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 4 | 0 | – | 45th of 58 | 2319th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | – | 25th of 58 | 1401st of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 0 | – | 12th of 58 | 830th of 1,849 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | $3K | 3rd of 58 | 696th of 2,972 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | – | 4th of 58 | 299th 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 Rensselaer County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.