Washington County, Pennsylvania: hazard risk
FEMA rates Washington County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 83.1 of 100, higher than 83% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning. Its storm record holds 1,176 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | 88.5 | $1.3M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 94.1 | $121K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 91.4 | $51M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 82.7 | $1.2M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 59.9 | $236K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 57.3 | $136K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 49.8 | $1.4M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 47.8 | $388K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 45.4 | $118K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 35.6 | $408K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 59.3 | $503K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 46.1 | $43K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 19.4 | $19K |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 12.1 | $14 |
| Cold Wave | Very Low | 8.3 | $65K |
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 | 647 | 0 | $6.2M | 24th of 67 | 530th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 215 | 1 | $24M | 17th of 67 | 475th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 156 | 0 | $55K | 20th of 67 | 1763rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 67 | 0 | – | 64th of 67 | 1825th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 37 | 0 | $728K | 34th of 67 | 1193rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 0 | $11M | 29th of 67 | 1928th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 0 | – | 41st of 67 | 1559th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $101K | 17th of 67 | 766th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 5 | 0 | – | 48th of 67 | 2167th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 0 | – | 18th of 67 | 1390th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | – | 4th of 67 | 327th 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 Washington County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.