Natural disaster risk in Florida, by county
All 67 counties in Florida, ranked by FEMA's National Risk Index composite risk score, with each one's highest-rated hazard. Other states
At a glance
1
Very high risk
20
Relatively high risk
18
Relatively moderate risk
20
Relatively low risk
8
Very low risk
Highest overall risk: Miami-Dade County (very high, score 99.6). Lowest: Union County (very low, score 10.9).
Top hazards in Florida
| Hazard | Counties rated relatively high or very high | Average score |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning | 47 of 67 | 85.4 |
| Hurricane | 44 of 67 | 93.5 |
| Tornado | 23 of 67 | 69.3 |
| Strong wind | 18 of 67 | 56.9 |
| Coastal flooding | 16 of 67 | 67.7 |
All counties, highest risk first
| # | County | Overall risk | Highest-rated hazard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami-Dade County | Very high 99.6 | Coastal flooding (very high) |
| 2 | Broward County | Relatively high 99.5 | Lightning (very high) |
| 3 | Palm Beach County | Relatively high 99.2 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 4 | Lee County | Relatively high 99 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 5 | Collier County | Relatively high 98.9 | Cold wave (very high) |
| 6 | Hillsborough County | Relatively high 98.8 | Cold wave (very high) |
| 7 | Brevard County | Relatively high 98.4 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 8 | Orange County | Relatively high 98.4 | Cold wave (very high) |
| 9 | Pinellas County | Relatively high 98.2 | Coastal flooding (very high) |
| 10 | Sarasota County | Relatively high 98.2 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 11 | Manatee County | Relatively high 97.6 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 12 | Duval County | Relatively high 97.2 | Lightning (very high) |
| 13 | Polk County | Relatively high 96.5 | Lightning (very high) |
| 14 | Volusia County | Relatively high 96.2 | Lightning (very high) |
| 15 | St. Lucie County | Relatively high 96.1 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 16 | Pasco County | Relatively high 96 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 17 | Indian River County | Relatively high 95.6 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 18 | Charlotte County | Relatively high 95.2 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 19 | Escambia County | Relatively high 95.1 | Lightning (very high) |
| 20 | Citrus County | Relatively high 94.7 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 21 | Marion County | Relatively high 94.7 | Lightning (very high) |
| 22 | Bay County | Relatively moderate 94.1 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 23 | Martin County | Relatively moderate 94.1 | Hurricane (very high) |
| 24 | Leon County | Relatively moderate 93.4 | Cold wave (relatively high) |
| 25 | Okaloosa County | Relatively moderate 92.5 | Lightning (very high) |
| 26 | Osceola County | Relatively moderate 92 | Strong wind (very high) |
| 27 | Lake County | Relatively moderate 91.9 | Strong wind (very high) |
| 28 | Monroe County | Relatively moderate 91.6 | Coastal flooding (very high) |
| 29 | Seminole County | Relatively moderate 91.4 | Tornado (relatively high) |
| 30 | Alachua County | Relatively moderate 90.3 | Lightning (very high) |
| 31 | Highlands County | Relatively moderate 89.4 | Strong wind (very high) |
| 32 | Santa Rosa County | Relatively moderate 89 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 33 | Walton County | Relatively moderate 88.6 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 34 | Hernando County | Relatively moderate 88 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 35 | Sumter County | Relatively moderate 87.6 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 36 | St. Johns County | Relatively moderate 87.5 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 37 | Flagler County | Relatively moderate 82.8 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 38 | DeSoto County | Relatively moderate 81.6 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 39 | Clay County | Relatively moderate 81.1 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 40 | Okeechobee County | Relatively low 80.3 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 41 | Putnam County | Relatively low 79.7 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 42 | Hendry County | Relatively low 78.7 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 43 | Jackson County | Relatively low 75.7 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 44 | Gadsden County | Relatively low 72.4 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 45 | Suwannee County | Relatively low 71.3 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 46 | Columbia County | Relatively low 69.7 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 47 | Hardee County | Relatively low 69.2 | Strong wind (very high) |
| 48 | Levy County | Relatively low 66.1 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 49 | Taylor County | Relatively low 65.4 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 50 | Gulf County | Relatively low 59.5 | Hurricane (relatively high) |
| 51 | Washington County | Relatively low 59.4 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 52 | Nassau County | Relatively low 59.3 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 53 | Holmes County | Relatively low 49.4 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 54 | Glades County | Relatively low 48 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 55 | Madison County | Relatively low 47.4 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 56 | Wakulla County | Relatively low 46.7 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 57 | Franklin County | Relatively low 46.5 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 58 | Calhoun County | Relatively low 44.9 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 59 | Hamilton County | Relatively low 43 | Lightning (relatively high) |
| 60 | Jefferson County | Very low 39 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 61 | Bradford County | Very low 36.9 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 62 | Dixie County | Very low 35.5 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 63 | Gilchrist County | Very low 28 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 64 | Lafayette County | Very low 15.9 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 65 | Baker County | Very low 13.3 | Wildfire (relatively low) |
| 66 | Liberty County | Very low 12.7 | Hurricane (relatively moderate) |
| 67 | Union County | Very low 10.9 | Hurricane (relatively low) |
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
Which county in Florida has the highest natural disaster risk?
Miami-Dade County has the highest composite risk score in Florida in FEMA's National Risk Index: 99.6, rated very high.
Which county in Florida has the lowest natural disaster risk?
Union County has the lowest composite risk score in Florida: 10.9, rated very low. A low score means lower modelled risk compared with other US counties, not no risk.
What natural disasters is Florida most at risk from?
Across Florida, the hazards rated highest in the most counties are lightning, hurricane, tornado, according to FEMA's National Risk Index. Each county page lists all 18 hazards.
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