Lightning Risk in New York
All New York counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index lightning score
Lightning risk — electrical discharges from storms that ignite fires and cause casualties — is rated for 62 of 62 New York counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Kings County carries the state's highest lightning score at 98.0, with $2M in expected annual lightning losses.
20 New York counties are rated High or Very High for lightning, and expected annual losses from lightning total roughly $43M 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 | Kings County | Very High | 32.72 / yr | $2M | |
| 2 | Westchester County | Very High | 28.70 / yr | $3M | |
| 3 | Suffolk County | Very High | 23.80 / yr | $3M | |
| 4 | Nassau County | Very High | 27.27 / yr | $3M | |
| 5 | Queens County | High | 28.67 / yr | $1M | |
| 6 | Bronx County | High | 31.31 / yr | $999K | |
| 7 | New York County | High | 31.70 / yr | $1M | |
| 8 | Warren County | High | 23.55 / yr | $2M | |
| 9 | Onondaga County | High | 30.07 / yr | $1M | |
| 10 | Rockland County | High | 29.67 / yr | $1M | |
| 11 | Chautauqua County | High | 35.45 / yr | $952K | |
| 12 | Oneida County | High | 27.42 / yr | $1M | |
| 13 | Albany County | High | 27.55 / yr | $1M | |
| 14 | Dutchess County | High | 29.08 / yr | $1M | |
| 15 | Orange County | High | 30.15 / yr | $1M | |
| 16 | Cattaraugus County | High | 33.68 / yr | $737K | |
| 17 | Erie County | High | 32.45 / yr | $942K | |
| 18 | Genesee County | High | 28.55 / yr | $985K | |
| 19 | Ulster County | High | 29.48 / yr | $887K | |
| 20 | Broome County | High | 30.74 / yr | $795K | |
| 21 | Essex County | Medium | 22.77 / yr | $680K | |
| 22 | Rensselaer County | Medium | 26.69 / yr | $756K | |
| 23 | Washington County | Medium | 24.86 / yr | $730K | |
| 24 | Saratoga County | Medium | 24.99 / yr | $1M | |
| 25 | St. Lawrence County | Medium | 23.71 / yr | $547K | |
| 26 | Monroe County | Medium | 27.28 / yr | $638K | |
| 27 | Niagara County | Medium | 27.60 / yr | $664K | |
| 28 | Columbia County | Medium | 27.71 / yr | $561K | |
| 29 | Steuben County | Medium | 30.10 / yr | $566K | |
| 30 | Sullivan County | Medium | 30.44 / yr | $564K | |
| 31 | Schenectady County | Medium | 26.40 / yr | $612K | |
| 32 | Madison County | Medium | 29.03 / yr | $592K | |
| 33 | Clinton County | Medium | 22.27 / yr | $521K | |
| 34 | Franklin County | Medium | 22.82 / yr | $398K | |
| 35 | Oswego County | Medium | 28.55 / yr | $381K | |
| 36 | Tompkins County | Medium | 30.40 / yr | $390K | |
| 37 | Richmond County | Medium | 33.13 / yr | $307K | |
| 38 | Allegany County | Medium | 30.58 / yr | $330K | |
| 39 | Chemung County | Medium | 30.81 / yr | $312K | |
| 40 | Ontario County | Low | 29.75 / yr | $326K | |
| 41 | Montgomery County | Low | 25.50 / yr | $226K | |
| 42 | Wyoming County | Low | 30.85 / yr | $301K | |
| 43 | Herkimer County | Low | 25.51 / yr | $250K | |
| 44 | Wayne County | Low | 28.16 / yr | $248K | |
| 45 | Livingston County | Low | 29.73 / yr | $227K | |
| 46 | Otsego County | Low | 28.20 / yr | $207K | |
| 47 | Delaware County | Low | 28.94 / yr | $159K | |
| 48 | Chenango County | Low | 29.25 / yr | $192K | |
| 49 | Cayuga County | Low | 30.49 / yr | $229K | |
| 50 | Jefferson County | Low | 25.24 / yr | $222K | |
| 51 | Fulton County | Low | 24.47 / yr | $205K | |
| 52 | Greene County | Low | 27.49 / yr | $178K | |
| 53 | Tioga County | Low | 31.16 / yr | $179K | |
| 54 | Putnam County | Low | 29.32 / yr | $306K | |
| 55 | Yates County | Low | 29.66 / yr | $108K | |
| 56 | Cortland County | Low | 29.38 / yr | $150K | |
| 57 | Seneca County | Low | 29.86 / yr | $94K | |
| 58 | Schuyler County | Low | 29.95 / yr | $99K | |
| 59 | Schoharie County | Low | 27.28 / yr | $104K | |
| 60 | Orleans County | Low | 26.15 / yr | $103K | |
| 61 | Lewis County | Very Low | 25.77 / yr | $89K | |
| 62 | Hamilton County | Very Low | 22.84 / yr | $46K |
62 New York counties with measurable lightning risk. See the national lightning ranking or all New York counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which New York county has the highest lightning risk?
Kings County has the highest FEMA lightning risk score in New York at 98.0 (Very High), with $2M in expected annual losses and about 32.72 events per year.
How many New York counties face significant lightning risk?
62 New York counties record measurable lightning risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 20 of them are rated High or Very High.