Ulster County, New York: hazard risk
FEMA rates Ulster County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 87.7 of 100, higher than 87% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 16 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,796 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 | Relatively High | 91.6 | $2.2M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 84.8 | $887K |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 94.1 | $101K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 91.9 | $45M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 87.6 | $5.9M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 86.9 | $4.6M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 82.8 | $994K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 81.5 | $3.9M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 72.8 | $246K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 68.8 | $119K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 80.6 | $1.7M |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | 71.1 | $5K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 66.3 | $750K |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Low | 53.6 | $221K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 49.7 | $137K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 52.9 | $53K |
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 | 625 | 1 | $3.4M | 38th of 58 | 1395th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 361 | 0 | $2.6M | 36th of 58 | 761st of 3,077 |
| Floods | 225 | 1 | $33M | 19th of 58 | 812th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 180 | 3 | $2.3M | 24th of 58 | 406th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 123 | 0 | $24M | 33rd of 58 | 2321st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 117 | 0 | $23M | 13th of 58 | 303rd of 3,076 |
| Heat | 99 | 0 | – | 9th of 58 | 379th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 24 | 1 | $1.2M | 16th of 58 | 418th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 0 | $8.4M | 28th of 58 | 2354th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 8 | 0 | – | 39th of 58 | 2286th of 3,063 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 7 | 0 | – | 9th of 58 | 794th of 1,849 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | – | 20th of 58 | 1299th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 6 | 0 | $19K | 2nd of 58 | 552nd of 2,972 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | – | 7th of 58 | 355th 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 Ulster County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.