Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania: hazard risk
FEMA rates Schuylkill County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 85.3 of 100, higher than 85% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, strong wind, lightning. Its storm record holds 519 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 96.1 | $727K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 90.5 | $1.8M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 85.3 | $821K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 90.8 | $36M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 90.1 | $50K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 82.6 | $2.5M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 78.3 | $2.8M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 66.2 | $1.9M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 62.3 | $129K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 74.3 | $967K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 71.9 | $785K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 55.6 | $56K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 39.6 | $222 |
| Hail | Very Low | 18.2 | $55K |
| 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 | 256 | 1 | $961K | 47th of 67 | 1348th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 92 | 9 | $12K | 48th of 67 | 1273rd of 3,077 |
| Floods | 58 | 1 | $5.5M | 44th of 67 | 1147th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 51 | 0 | $623 | 50th of 67 | 2533rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 0 | $135K | 51st of 67 | 1605th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 0 | $8.7M | 36th of 67 | 2060th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 14 | 0 | – | 18th of 67 | 1711th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 0 | – | 61st of 67 | 2136th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 4 | 0 | – | 33rd of 67 | 1864th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 0 | – | 29th of 67 | 987th of 1,849 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Schuylkill County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.