Riskiest Counties for Cold Wave

Ranked by FEMA National Risk Index cold wave hazard score · code CWAV

Cold Wave risk reflects prolonged spells of dangerously low temperatures. FEMA's National Risk Index scores each county's cold wave hazard from its expected annual loss, annualized event frequency, and exposed population. Cook County, Illinois currently leads the nation with a cold wave score of 100.0 and $700M in expected annual loss. Texas, Florida, Illinois account for much of the highest-rated cold wave risk in this dataset.

Read the full cold wave risk guide — how FEMA scores it and how to prepare →

County Rankings

#CountyStateCold Wave ScoreRatingAnn. Freq.Ann. Loss
1Cook CountyIL
100.0
Very High 4.25 / yr$700M
2Milwaukee CountyWI
100.0
Very High 4.89 / yr$177M
3Harris CountyTX
99.9
Very High 0.48 / yr$118M
4Dallas CountyTX
99.9
Very High 0.95 / yr$98M
5Hidalgo CountyTX
99.9
Very High 3.08 / yr$88M
6Philadelphia CountyPA
99.8
Very High 0.79 / yr$57M
7Shelby CountyTN
99.8
Very High 1.68 / yr$62M
8Hennepin CountyMN
99.8
Very High 8.95 / yr$102M
9Queens CountyNY
99.7
Very High 0.52 / yr$46M
10Wayne CountyMI
99.7
Very High 2.68 / yr$60M
11Cuyahoga CountyOH
99.7
Very High 3.68 / yr$50M
12DuPage CountyIL
99.7
Very High 4.64 / yr$72M
13Bronx CountyNY
99.6
Very High 0.55 / yr$31M
14Erie CountyNY
99.6
Very High 4.90 / yr$53M
15Will CountyIL
99.6
Very High 4.30 / yr$72M
16Miami-Dade CountyFL
99.5
Very High 1.28 / yr$41M
17Hillsborough CountyFL
99.5
Very High 4.14 / yr$54M
18Cameron CountyTX
99.5
Very High 3.06 / yr$33M
19Lake CountyIN
99.4
Very High 3.63 / yr$47M
20Galveston CountyTX
99.4
Very High 0.42 / yr$53M
21St. Louis CountyMN
99.4
Very High 14.89 / yr$51M
22Orange CountyFL
99.3
Very High 3.87 / yr$48M
23Oakland CountyMI
99.3
Very High 2.63 / yr$55M
24Sedgwick CountyKS
99.3
Very High 1.58 / yr$51M
25Collier CountyFL
99.2
Very High 2.12 / yr$34M

Showing the top 25 seeded counties for cold wave risk.

Cold Wave Risk by State

DelawareNew JerseyCaliforniaConnecticutArizonaMassachusettsFloridaSouth CarolinaWashingtonNew HampshireNew YorkPennsylvaniaNorth CarolinaOregonLouisianaAlabamaMarylandWisconsinNew MexicoMaineRhode IslandOklahomaArkansasOhioIllinoisTennesseeMississippiMissouriMichiganWest VirginiaTexasNevadaIndianaKentuckyMinnesotaColoradoIowaGeorgiaIdahoWyomingVermontUtahAlaskaVirginiaMontanaKansasSouth DakotaNebraskaNorth Dakota