Cold Wave Risk in New York
All New York counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index cold wave score
Cold Wave risk — prolonged spells of dangerously low temperatures — is rated for 62 of 62 New York counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Queens County carries the state's highest cold wave score at 99.7, with $46M in expected annual cold wave losses.
11 New York counties are rated High or Very High for cold wave, and expected annual losses from cold wave total roughly $310M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Cold Wave
| # | County | Cold Wave Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queens County | Very High | 0.52 / yr | $46M | |
| 2 | Bronx County | Very High | 0.55 / yr | $31M | |
| 3 | Erie County | Very High | 4.90 / yr | $53M | |
| 4 | Kings County | Very High | 0.48 / yr | $22M | |
| 5 | New York County | High | 0.50 / yr | $18M | |
| 6 | Monroe County | High | 2.95 / yr | $20M | |
| 7 | Suffolk County | High | 0.55 / yr | $14M | |
| 8 | Westchester County | High | 1.02 / yr | $9M | |
| 9 | Nassau County | High | 0.52 / yr | $10M | |
| 10 | Orange County | High | 1.32 / yr | $7M | |
| 11 | Richmond County | High | 0.48 / yr | $6M | |
| 12 | St. Lawrence County | Medium | 4.63 / yr | $5M | |
| 13 | Oneida County | Medium | 5.07 / yr | $5M | |
| 14 | Rockland County | Medium | 1.05 / yr | $4M | |
| 15 | Otsego County | Medium | 4.84 / yr | $5M | |
| 16 | Warren County | Medium | 5.09 / yr | $5M | |
| 17 | Ulster County | Medium | 3.45 / yr | $4M | |
| 18 | Sullivan County | Medium | 4.37 / yr | $3M | |
| 19 | Dutchess County | Medium | 1.77 / yr | $3M | |
| 20 | Onondaga County | Medium | 3.58 / yr | $3M | |
| 21 | Broome County | Medium | 3.68 / yr | $2M | |
| 22 | Delaware County | Medium | 5.00 / yr | $1M | |
| 23 | Niagara County | Medium | 3.11 / yr | $2M | |
| 24 | Chautauqua County | Medium | 3.69 / yr | $2M | |
| 25 | Albany County | Medium | 2.47 / yr | $2M | |
| 26 | Washington County | Medium | 2.70 / yr | $2M | |
| 27 | Jefferson County | Low | 4.84 / yr | $2M | |
| 28 | Cattaraugus County | Low | 3.95 / yr | $1M | |
| 29 | Montgomery County | Low | 3.26 / yr | $1M | |
| 30 | Chenango County | Low | 4.32 / yr | $1M | |
| 31 | Fulton County | Low | 4.41 / yr | $1M | |
| 32 | Steuben County | Low | 3.32 / yr | $1M | |
| 33 | Saratoga County | Low | 2.66 / yr | $2M | |
| 34 | Rensselaer County | Low | 2.51 / yr | $1M | |
| 35 | Essex County | Low | 4.96 / yr | $919K | |
| 36 | Schenectady County | Low | 2.55 / yr | $912K | |
| 37 | Columbia County | Low | 2.42 / yr | $697K | |
| 38 | Greene County | Low | 3.64 / yr | $695K | |
| 39 | Franklin County | Low | 5.36 / yr | $678K | |
| 40 | Clinton County | Low | 4.83 / yr | $728K | |
| 41 | Livingston County | Low | 3.32 / yr | $705K | |
| 42 | Allegany County | Low | 4.05 / yr | $645K | |
| 43 | Putnam County | Low | 1.26 / yr | $1M | |
| 44 | Herkimer County | Low | 5.26 / yr | $635K | |
| 45 | Genesee County | Low | 3.00 / yr | $604K | |
| 46 | Cortland County | Low | 3.84 / yr | $588K | |
| 47 | Madison County | Low | 4.48 / yr | $584K | |
| 48 | Chemung County | Low | 3.26 / yr | $497K | |
| 49 | Tompkins County | Low | 3.42 / yr | $524K | |
| 50 | Wyoming County | Low | 3.74 / yr | $514K | |
| 51 | Orleans County | Low | 3.11 / yr | $412K | |
| 52 | Schoharie County | Low | 3.95 / yr | $379K | |
| 53 | Wayne County | Low | 2.89 / yr | $351K | |
| 54 | Lewis County | Low | 5.16 / yr | $380K | |
| 55 | Tioga County | Low | 3.32 / yr | $325K | |
| 56 | Hamilton County | Very Low | 6.58 / yr | $264K | |
| 57 | Oswego County | Very Low | 4.26 / yr | $284K | |
| 58 | Cayuga County | Very Low | 3.04 / yr | $279K | |
| 59 | Seneca County | Very Low | 3.00 / yr | $170K | |
| 60 | Yates County | Very Low | 3.16 / yr | $115K | |
| 61 | Ontario County | Very Low | 3.11 / yr | $131K | |
| 62 | Schuyler County | Very Low | 3.26 / yr | $96K |
62 New York counties with measurable cold wave risk. See the national cold wave ranking or all New York counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which New York county has the highest cold wave risk?
Queens County has the highest FEMA cold wave risk score in New York at 99.7 (Very High), with $46M in expected annual losses and about 0.52 events per year.
How many New York counties face significant cold wave risk?
62 New York counties record measurable cold wave risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 11 of them are rated High or Very High.