Sussex County, New Jersey: hazard risk
FEMA rates Sussex County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 77.4 of 100, higher than 77% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, cold wave. Its storm record holds 1,230 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Very High | 98.2 | $9.1M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 93.9 | $16M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 78.8 | $307K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 77.3 | $27M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 66.7 | $683K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 86.5 | $58K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 71.5 | $1.1M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 71.1 | $1.3M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 59.8 | $891K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 54.0 | $157K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 50.6 | $237K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 44.1 | $1.6M |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 36.7 | $33K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 30.3 | $175 |
| Hail | Very Low | 8.3 | $38K |
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 | 420 | 0 | $5.6M | 6th of 20 | 33rd of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 310 | 1 | $1.6M | 17th of 20 | 620th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 144 | 2 | $130M | 15th of 20 | 80th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 53 | 0 | $324M | 20th of 20 | 809th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 52 | 0 | $2K | 18th of 20 | 2206th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 52 | 0 | – | 18th of 20 | 281st of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 43 | 2 | – | 20th of 20 | 93rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 39 | 0 | – | 15th of 20 | 549th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 38 | 2 | – | 11th of 20 | 282nd of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 26 | 1 | $306K | 17th of 20 | 147th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 12 | 0 | $249K | 7th of 20 | 106th of 2,972 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 0 | $1.4M | 20th of 20 | 2509th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 0 | $328K | 20th of 20 | 776th 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 Sussex County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.