Drought Risk in Florida
All Florida counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index drought score
Drought risk — extended dry periods that stress water supplies and agriculture — is rated for 65 of 67 Florida counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Palm Beach County carries the state's highest drought score at 94.1, with $2M in expected annual drought losses.
1 Florida county is rated High or Very High for drought, and expected annual losses from drought total roughly $11M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Drought
| # | County | Drought Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palm Beach County | High | 17.38 / yr | $2M | |
| 2 | Hendry County | Medium | 19.66 / yr | $647K | |
| 3 | Hillsborough County | Medium | 17.15 / yr | $1M | |
| 4 | Jackson County | Medium | 26.50 / yr | $717K | |
| 5 | Manatee County | Medium | 19.11 / yr | $822K | |
| 6 | Miami-Dade County | Medium | 8.94 / yr | $663K | |
| 7 | Gadsden County | Medium | 24.13 / yr | $496K | |
| 8 | Highlands County | Medium | 19.10 / yr | $365K | |
| 9 | Polk County | Medium | 14.71 / yr | $533K | |
| 10 | DeSoto County | Medium | 17.93 / yr | $269K | |
| 11 | Collier County | Medium | 12.14 / yr | $297K | |
| 12 | St. Lucie County | Medium | 20.07 / yr | $353K | |
| 13 | Indian River County | Low | 22.99 / yr | $283K | |
| 14 | Hardee County | Low | 16.68 / yr | $299K | |
| 15 | Martin County | Low | 16.27 / yr | $242K | |
| 16 | Glades County | Low | 21.02 / yr | $138K | |
| 17 | Escambia County | Low | 14.66 / yr | $167K | |
| 18 | Lee County | Low | 7.76 / yr | $131K | |
| 19 | Calhoun County | Low | 23.91 / yr | $102K | |
| 20 | Brevard County | Low | 18.89 / yr | $133K | |
| 21 | Okeechobee County | Low | 22.71 / yr | $82K | |
| 22 | Holmes County | Low | 25.15 / yr | $89K | |
| 23 | Santa Rosa County | Low | 13.96 / yr | $127K | |
| 24 | Osceola County | Low | 21.42 / yr | $95K | |
| 25 | Marion County | Low | 16.07 / yr | $69K | |
| 26 | Charlotte County | Low | 16.71 / yr | $61K | |
| 27 | Alachua County | Low | 19.95 / yr | $77K | |
| 28 | Levy County | Low | 22.76 / yr | $41K | |
| 29 | Hamilton County | Low | 15.22 / yr | $37K | |
| 30 | Sarasota County | Low | 18.58 / yr | $41K | |
| 31 | Putnam County | Low | 18.79 / yr | $34K | |
| 32 | Madison County | Low | 14.99 / yr | $34K | |
| 33 | Washington County | Low | 22.21 / yr | $40K | |
| 34 | Suwannee County | Low | 14.05 / yr | $35K | |
| 35 | Lake County | Low | 16.25 / yr | $38K | |
| 36 | Broward County | Low | 15.25 / yr | $34K | |
| 37 | Orange County | Low | 15.40 / yr | $40K | |
| 38 | St. Johns County | Low | 14.58 / yr | $53K | |
| 39 | Volusia County | Low | 16.19 / yr | $28K | |
| 40 | Gilchrist County | Low | 16.65 / yr | $22K | |
| 41 | Jefferson County | Very Low | 18.80 / yr | $15K | |
| 42 | Leon County | Very Low | 19.23 / yr | $22K | |
| 43 | Columbia County | Very Low | 19.95 / yr | $14K | |
| 44 | Flagler County | Very Low | 14.72 / yr | $12K | |
| 45 | Lafayette County | Very Low | 15.74 / yr | $9K | |
| 46 | Walton County | Very Low | 20.61 / yr | $7K | |
| 47 | Sumter County | Very Low | 16.78 / yr | $4K | |
| 48 | Duval County | Very Low | 14.88 / yr | $6K | |
| 49 | Dixie County | Very Low | 17.21 / yr | $4K | |
| 50 | Okaloosa County | Very Low | 14.72 / yr | $5K | |
| 51 | Pinellas County | Very Low | 16.82 / yr | $4K | |
| 52 | Hernando County | Very Low | 16.77 / yr | $3K | |
| 53 | Pasco County | Very Low | 17.00 / yr | $3K | |
| 54 | Union County | Very Low | 17.00 / yr | $3K | |
| 55 | Citrus County | Very Low | 18.06 / yr | $2K | |
| 56 | Seminole County | Very Low | 13.59 / yr | $3K | |
| 57 | Clay County | Very Low | 16.76 / yr | $3K | |
| 58 | Bradford County | Very Low | 18.34 / yr | $2K | |
| 59 | Bay County | Very Low | 17.37 / yr | $2K | |
| 60 | Baker County | Very Low | 17.93 / yr | $2K | |
| 61 | Nassau County | Very Low | 18.89 / yr | $1K | |
| 62 | Taylor County | Very Low | 11.64 / yr | $576 | |
| 63 | Wakulla County | Very Low | 14.20 / yr | $247 | |
| 64 | Liberty County | Very Low | 20.52 / yr | $139 | |
| 65 | Gulf County | Very Low | 11.42 / yr | $89 |
65 Florida counties with measurable drought risk. See the national drought ranking or all Florida counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Florida county has the highest drought risk?
Palm Beach County has the highest FEMA drought risk score in Florida at 94.1 (High), with $2M in expected annual losses and about 17.38 events per year.
How many Florida counties face significant drought risk?
65 Florida counties record measurable drought risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 1 of them are rated High or Very High.