Suffolk County, New York: hazard risk
FEMA rates Suffolk County's overall risk Relatively High (score 97.3 of 100, higher than 97% of rated U.S. counties); 8 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather, coastal flooding, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,887 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 | Very High | 98.8 | $2.0M |
| Coastal Flooding | Very High | 98.6 | $25M |
| Lightning | Very High | 97.5 | $3.1M |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 96.5 | $2.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 98.3 | $193M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 97.7 | $5.8M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 96.8 | $43M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 95.3 | $14M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 95.9 | $21M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 94.7 | $6.7M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 74.7 | $3.6M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 84.6 | $33K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 73.4 | $265K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 36.9 | $186K |
| Drought | Very Low | 14.9 | $686 |
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 | 410 | 1 | $1.4M | 46th of 58 | 1742nd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 380 | 10 | $13M | 8th of 58 | 160th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 372 | 2 | $117M | 7th of 58 | 301st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 353 | 18 | $33M | 51st of 58 | 1298th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 107 | 0 | $685 | 32nd of 58 | 2294th of 3,080 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 45 | 21 | $76M | 3rd of 58 | 48th of 2,080 |
| Heat | 38 | 2 | – | 21st of 58 | 1259th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 37 | 1 | $2.3M | 9th of 58 | 215th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 32 | 0 | – | 21st of 58 | 2051st of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 32 | 0 | $6.3M | 4th of 58 | 1740th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 28 | 0 | – | 7th of 58 | 287th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 27 | 4 | $54K | 4th of 58 | 482nd of 1,849 |
| Extreme cold | 18 | 3 | – | 58th of 58 | 2224th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 14th of 58 | 1119th 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 Suffolk County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.