Lightning Risk in Florida
All Florida counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index lightning score
Lightning risk — electrical discharges from storms that ignite fires and cause casualties — is rated for 67 of 67 Florida counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Broward County carries the state's highest lightning score at 100.0, with $12M in expected annual lightning losses.
47 Florida counties are rated High or Very High for lightning, and expected annual losses from lightning total roughly $162M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Lightning
| # | County | Lightning Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Broward County | Very High | 99.35 / yr | $12M | |
| 2 | Miami-Dade County | Very High | 97.70 / yr | $8M | |
| 3 | Palm Beach County | Very High | 96.31 / yr | $9M | |
| 4 | Lee County | Very High | 101.95 / yr | $8M | |
| 5 | Pinellas County | Very High | 94.42 / yr | $9M | |
| 6 | Hillsborough County | Very High | 97.58 / yr | $8M | |
| 7 | Sarasota County | Very High | 96.18 / yr | $5M | |
| 8 | Polk County | Very High | 95.66 / yr | $6M | |
| 9 | Orange County | Very High | 88.08 / yr | $6M | |
| 10 | Collier County | Very High | 104.56 / yr | $4M | |
| 11 | Brevard County | Very High | 73.00 / yr | $6M | |
| 12 | Volusia County | Very High | 74.86 / yr | $5M | |
| 13 | Okaloosa County | Very High | 84.46 / yr | $5M | |
| 14 | Escambia County | Very High | 85.01 / yr | $4M | |
| 15 | Marion County | Very High | 88.95 / yr | $3M | |
| 16 | Manatee County | Very High | 96.79 / yr | $4M | |
| 17 | Duval County | Very High | 71.25 / yr | $4M | |
| 18 | Osceola County | Very High | 88.18 / yr | $4M | |
| 19 | St. Lucie County | Very High | 84.09 / yr | $3M | |
| 20 | Charlotte County | Very High | 99.98 / yr | $2M | |
| 21 | Bay County | Very High | 87.36 / yr | $3M | |
| 22 | Alachua County | Very High | 84.43 / yr | $3M | |
| 23 | Lake County | Very High | 91.63 / yr | $2M | |
| 24 | Pasco County | Very High | 94.43 / yr | $2M | |
| 25 | Martin County | High | 89.85 / yr | $2M | |
| 26 | Seminole County | High | 87.16 / yr | $3M | |
| 27 | Hendry County | High | 102.39 / yr | $1M | |
| 28 | DeSoto County | High | 98.38 / yr | $1M | |
| 29 | Citrus County | High | 91.51 / yr | $1M | |
| 30 | Highlands County | High | 97.00 / yr | $1M | |
| 31 | Santa Rosa County | High | 85.08 / yr | $3M | |
| 32 | Walton County | High | 83.28 / yr | $2M | |
| 33 | Indian River County | High | 77.49 / yr | $1M | |
| 34 | Columbia County | High | 80.85 / yr | $1M | |
| 35 | Hernando County | High | 93.02 / yr | $1M | |
| 36 | Sumter County | High | 92.93 / yr | $978K | |
| 37 | Clay County | High | 80.36 / yr | $2M | |
| 38 | St. Johns County | High | 69.47 / yr | $2M | |
| 39 | Levy County | High | 87.94 / yr | $749K | |
| 40 | Okeechobee County | High | 93.96 / yr | $727K | |
| 41 | Hamilton County | High | 79.44 / yr | $698K | |
| 42 | Monroe County | High | 101.34 / yr | $906K | |
| 43 | Jackson County | High | 76.86 / yr | $741K | |
| 44 | Gadsden County | High | 78.22 / yr | $609K | |
| 45 | Glades County | High | 99.52 / yr | $544K | |
| 46 | Putnam County | High | 81.18 / yr | $599K | |
| 47 | Suwannee County | High | 81.12 / yr | $677K | |
| 48 | Bradford County | Medium | 82.77 / yr | $647K | |
| 49 | Flagler County | Medium | 68.46 / yr | $522K | |
| 50 | Gulf County | Medium | 87.10 / yr | $501K | |
| 51 | Taylor County | Medium | 82.67 / yr | $392K | |
| 52 | Leon County | Medium | 80.74 / yr | $618K | |
| 53 | Liberty County | Medium | 85.69 / yr | $493K | |
| 54 | Hardee County | Medium | 97.45 / yr | $475K | |
| 55 | Nassau County | Medium | 73.37 / yr | $615K | |
| 56 | Washington County | Medium | 81.91 / yr | $371K | |
| 57 | Madison County | Medium | 79.46 / yr | $278K | |
| 58 | Calhoun County | Medium | 84.50 / yr | $286K | |
| 59 | Wakulla County | Medium | 83.22 / yr | $484K | |
| 60 | Holmes County | Medium | 78.44 / yr | $318K | |
| 61 | Franklin County | Medium | 84.59 / yr | $262K | |
| 62 | Gilchrist County | Medium | 83.91 / yr | $237K | |
| 63 | Dixie County | Medium | 85.03 / yr | $252K | |
| 64 | Jefferson County | Low | 79.23 / yr | $160K | |
| 65 | Union County | Low | 82.11 / yr | $216K | |
| 66 | Baker County | Low | 80.44 / yr | $234K | |
| 67 | Lafayette County | Low | 83.32 / yr | $127K |
67 Florida counties with measurable lightning risk. See the national lightning ranking or all Florida counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Florida county has the highest lightning risk?
Broward County has the highest FEMA lightning risk score in Florida at 100.0 (Very High), with $12M in expected annual losses and about 99.35 events per year.
How many Florida counties face significant lightning risk?
67 Florida counties record measurable lightning risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 47 of them are rated High or Very High.