Schenectady County, New York: hazard risk
FEMA rates Schenectady County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 71.3 of 100, higher than 71% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 1,174 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 82.9 | $24M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 76.6 | $345K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 73.7 | $612K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 70.7 | $2.8M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 75.7 | $1.2M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 66.9 | $729K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 57.1 | $558K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 48.1 | $263K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 48.1 | $567K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 47.5 | $64K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 46.8 | $912K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 34.0 | $455 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 21.5 | $9K |
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 384 | 2 | $1.6M | 1st of 58 | 14th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 251 | 0 | $2.2M | 2nd of 58 | 59th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 145 | 0 | $8.4M | 2nd of 58 | 30th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 108 | 0 | – | 1st of 58 | 6th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 94 | 1 | $10M | 5th of 58 | 80th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 83 | 0 | – | 1st of 58 | 38th of 3,076 |
| Hail | 73 | 0 | $54K | 1st of 58 | 516th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 10 | 0 | – | 6th of 58 | 258th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 10 | 0 | $120K | 4th of 58 | 103rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 0 | $249M | 3rd of 58 | 1604th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 4 | 0 | – | 18th of 58 | 2013th of 3,063 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | $8K | 1st of 58 | 282nd of 2,972 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | – | 7th of 58 | 713th of 1,849 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 0 | – | 6th of 58 | 138th of 2,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Schenectady County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.