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Natural hazard risk in Palm Beach County, Florida

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on FEMA, NOAA and OpenFEMA data. Published by Humblebee.

FEMA overall Risk Index rating: Relatively High (score 99.2 of 100)[5]

Expected annual loss (FEMA)
$518.6 million[1]
Federal disaster declarations since 1965
38[2]
NFIP flood claims paid, 1978 to 2026
$72.3 million[3]
Tornadoes recorded, 1950 to 2024
197[4]

FEMA's National Risk Index rates overall natural hazard risk for Palm Beach County as Relatively High compared with other US counties[5]. Within the county, FEMA's highest hazard scores are for hurricane, lightning and inland flooding[6].

FEMA risk ratings for each hazard

Ratings and expected losses from the FEMA National Risk Index. Each rating compares this county with all US counties for that hazard, from Very Low to Very High. They are planning estimates, not predictions, and they do not describe any single property.

FEMA estimates Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in the county at $518.6 million a year[1]. This is FEMA's estimate of average yearly loss, not money anyone paid[7]. FEMA's sorted loss values list hurricane at $286.9 million a year, inland flooding at $178.9 million a year and heat wave at $12.8 million a year[8]. FEMA rates social vulnerability as Relatively Moderate (score 59.8)[9]. FEMA rates community resilience as Relatively Low (score 24.4)[10]. All ratings compare Palm Beach County with other US counties, and the index does not predict next year's losses[7].

Hazards sorted by FEMA hazard-type Risk Index score, highest first
HazardFEMA risk ratingExpected annual loss
HurricaneVery High$286.9 million[11]
LightningVery High$8.9 million[12]
Inland FloodingRelatively High$178.9 million[13]
Heat WaveRelatively High$12.8 million[14]
WildfireRelatively Moderate$3.2 million[15]
DroughtRelatively High$2.0 million[16]
TornadoRelatively High$8.6 million[17]
Coastal FloodingRelatively High$7.5 million[18]
Strong WindRelatively High$2.1 million[19]
Cold WaveRelatively High$7.2 million[20]
LandslideRelatively Low$10,000[21]
EarthquakeVery Low$173,000[22]
HailRelatively Low$176,000[23]

Rated Not Applicable by FEMA for this county: avalanche, ice storm, volcanic activity[24].

Social vulnerability and community resilience

FEMA uses these two ratings to scale expected losses into the Risk Index.

FEMA measureRatingScore
Social vulnerabilityRelatively Moderate59.8[9]
Community resilienceRelatively Low24.4[10]

Flooding and flood insurance

FEMA rates inland flooding as Relatively High (score 98.9) and coastal flooding as Relatively High (score 93.4) for the county[13][18]. OpenFEMA lists 69,154 residential flood insurance contracts in force as of 2026-08-03[25]. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, 43.5% of homes are insured[25]. OpenFEMA NFIP claims data lists 10,758 claims for losses from 1978 to 2026, and NFIP paid $72.3 million in total[3]. To learn about the flood zone of an address, use FEMA's Flood Map Service Center[26].

Measure Value
Inland Flooding, FEMA risk rating[13] Relatively High, $178.9 million expected loss a year
Coastal Flooding, FEMA risk rating[18] Relatively High, $7.5 million expected loss a year
NFIP residential flood policies in force (2026)[25] 69,154 of 530,976 homes
Homes in FEMA's mapped high-risk flood area (SFHA)[25] 43,577, of which 18,933 insured
NFIP flood claims, 1978 to 2026[3] 10,758 filed, $72.3 million paid

Is a specific address in a flood zone? Only FEMA's flood maps answer that, property by property[26]. This page describes the whole county.

Search an address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Disaster declarations and tornado records

OpenFEMA lists 38 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Palm Beach County since 1965[2]. Hurricane declarations number 25 of them[2]. The most recent listed is DR-4834-FL for Hurricane Milton, declared 2024-10-11[27]. NOAA's tornado database records 197 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024[4].

Federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Palm Beach County, since 1965
Incident type Declarations
Hurricane[2] 25
Freezing[2] 5
Fire[2] 3
Severe Storm[2] 3
Tropical Storm[2] 1
Flood[2] 1
Most recent declarations
Declaration Incident Declared
DR-4834-FL[27] Hurricane Milton 2024-10-11
EM-3622-FL[27] Hurricane Milton 2024-10-07
DR-4680-FL[27] Hurricane Nicole 2022-12-13
EM-3587-FL[27] Tropical Storm Nicole 2022-11-08
DR-4673-FL[27] Hurricane Ian 2022-09-29

How to prepare

Steps from Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness site, for the hazards with the highest FEMA ratings here. Follow instructions from local officials and the National Weather Service when a warning is issued.

Hurricanes

Before

  • Know your hurricane risk, including rain, wind and tornadoes far inland from landfall.
  • Learn your evacuation zone and routes, and practice them with your household and pets.
  • Keep insurance policies and ID current, with password-protected digital copies.
  • Clear drains and gutters, bring in outdoor furniture and consider hurricane shutters.
  • Keep your phone charged, buy backup chargers and gather supplies, including medication and pet supplies.

During

  • If you are in a mandatory evacuation zone and officials order an evacuation, leave right away.
  • For high winds, take shelter in a designated storm shelter or an interior room.
  • If you are trapped by flooding, go to the highest level, but do not climb into a closed attic.

Source: Ready.gov, hurricanes

Floods

Before

  • Check your flood risk with FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, and remember that floods do not follow map lines.
  • Sign up for your community's warning system. NOAA Weather Radio also broadcasts alerts.
  • Buy flood insurance through the NFIP well before a disaster. Homeowners policies do not cover flooding, and a new policy typically takes up to 30 days to go into effect.
  • Make a household plan with evacuation routes, shelter locations and what to do in a flash flood.
  • Keep important documents in a waterproof container and make password-protected digital copies.

During

  • If you are told to evacuate, leave right away and never drive around barricades.
  • Do not walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Six inches of moving water can knock you down.
  • If you are trapped in a building, go to the highest level, but do not climb into a closed attic.

Source: Ready.gov, floods

Extreme heat

Before

  • Learn the signs of heat illness and how to respond.
  • Do not rely on a fan as your main way to stay cool. Fans do not lower body temperature.
  • Find cool public places, such as libraries or malls, or ask your local health department.
  • Keep heat out with window shades, weather stripping and insulation.
  • If you cannot afford cooling costs, contact LIHEAP for help.

During

  • Never leave a person or an animal in a parked car in warm weather.
  • If your home has no air conditioning, go to a cooling center.
  • Wear light, loose clothing, drink plenty of fluids and avoid hard outdoor work in the middle of the day.

Source: Ready.gov, extreme heat

Questions people ask

Is Palm Beach County at risk of flooding?
FEMA rates inland flooding as Relatively High (score 98.9) and coastal flooding as Relatively High (score 93.4) compared with other US counties[13][18]. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center shows flood maps for a specific address[26].
How many disasters have been declared in Palm Beach County?
OpenFEMA lists 38 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include the county since 1965[2].
Is Palm Beach County at risk of hurricanes?
FEMA rates hurricane risk Very High (score 99.8) compared with other US counties, and estimates hurricane Expected Annual Loss at $286.9 million a year[11].
Is Palm Beach County at risk of earthquakes?
FEMA rates earthquake risk Very Low (score 44.9) compared with other US counties[22].
How many tornadoes have been recorded in Palm Beach County?
NOAA's tornado database records 197 tornadoes touching the county from 1950 to 2024[4].

Facts and sources

  1. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Expected Annual Loss from all 18 natural hazards in Palm Beach County is $518.6 million a year (Expected Annual Loss rating Relatively High, score 99.0). Of this, buildings account for $440.9 million, injuries and deaths (converted to dollars by FEMA) for... FEMA National Risk Index
  2. OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries list 38 federal disaster declarations for natural hazards that include Palm Beach County since 1965 (24 major disaster, 14 emergency or fire management). By incident type: hurricane 25, freezing 5, fire 3, severe storm 3, tropical storm 1, flood 1. Biological (such as... OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations
  3. HazardFacts tally of OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims (losses from 1978 to 2026): 10,758 National Flood Insurance Program claims were filed for losses in Palm Beach County, 4,689 of them with a payment, and NFIP paid $72.3 million in total (building, contents and increased cost of compliance, in dollars of the year... OpenFEMA NFIP claims
  4. NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950 to 2024): 197 recorded tornadoes touched Palm Beach County. The strongest were rated EF3 (most recent of them on 2024-10-09). 2 were rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The most recent recorded tornado was on 2024-10-09. Ratings used the Fujita scale until early 2007 and... NOAA Storm Prediction Center
  5. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): the overall natural hazard Risk Index rating for Palm Beach County is Relatively High, with a Risk Index score of 99.2 out of 100. The score is the county's percentile rank among all US counties. FEMA National Risk Index
  6. Among the 18 hazards in the FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), the hazards with the highest hazard-type Risk Index scores for Palm Beach County are hurricane (99.8, Very High), lightning (99.8, Very High), inland flooding (98.9, Relatively High). HazardFacts sorted FEMA's published scores;... FEMA National Risk Index
  7. FEMA's National Risk Index FAQ (December 2025): Expected Annual Loss is FEMA's estimate of the average economic loss in dollars from natural hazards each year. The index is not meant to predict how much damage a community will have in the next year, and a hazard can still cause damage where a rating is low. Scores... FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  8. HazardFacts sorted FEMA's hazard-type Expected Annual Loss values for Palm Beach County (National Risk Index v1.20): the largest are hurricane ($286.9 million a year), inland flooding ($178.9 million a year), heat wave ($12.8 million a year), out of $518.6 million a year from all 18 hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  9. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Social Vulnerability rating for Palm Beach County is Relatively Moderate (score 59.8). FEMA describes social vulnerability as how susceptible social groups are to the harm natural hazards cause. FEMA National Risk Index
  10. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025): Community Resilience rating for Palm Beach County is Relatively Low (score 24.4). FEMA describes community resilience as a community's ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from hazards. FEMA National Risk Index
  11. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hurricane in Palm Beach County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 99.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $286.9 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 0.33 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 172 years for the... FEMA National Risk Index
  12. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), lightning in Palm Beach County: Risk Index rating Very High (score 99.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $8.9 million a year (rating Very High). Annualized frequency 96.31 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 24 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  13. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), inland flooding in Palm Beach County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 98.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $178.9 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 2.07 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record... FEMA National Risk Index
  14. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), heat wave in Palm Beach County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 98.2 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $12.8 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 4.67 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18... FEMA National Risk Index
  15. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), wildfire in Palm Beach County: Risk Index rating Relatively Moderate (score 95.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $3.2 million a year (rating Relatively Moderate). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0062 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  16. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), drought in Palm Beach County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 94.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.0 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 17.38 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 22 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  17. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), tornado in Palm Beach County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 93.7 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $8.6 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 1.53 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  18. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), coastal flooding in Palm Beach County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 93.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $7.5 million a year (rating Relatively High). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 2.9099 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  19. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), strong wind in Palm Beach County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 93.1 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $2.1 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 0.98 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 38 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  20. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), cold wave in Palm Beach County: Risk Index rating Relatively High (score 92.3 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $7.2 million a year (rating Relatively High). Annualized frequency 1.97 event-days per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 18 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  21. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), landslide in Palm Beach County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 77.4 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $10,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). FEMA National Risk Index
  22. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), earthquake in Palm Beach County: Risk Index rating Very Low (score 44.9 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $173,000 a year (rating Very Low). FEMA's modeled annual frequency is 0.0002 events per year. FEMA National Risk Index
  23. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025), hail in Palm Beach County: Risk Index rating Relatively Low (score 43.8 of 100). Expected Annual Loss $176,000 a year (rating Relatively Low). Annualized frequency 0.96 events per year, from recorded occurrences over a period of record of 37 years. FEMA National Risk Index
  24. FEMA National Risk Index (version 1.20, December 2025) rates these hazards Not Applicable for Palm Beach County: avalanche, ice storm, volcanic activity. FEMA uses Not Applicable when its source data has no historical record of the hazard in the community and the hazard is not considered geographically possible there. FEMA National Risk Index documentation
  25. NFIP Residential Penetration Rates (OpenFEMA, as of 2026-08-03): 69,154 residential flood insurance contracts were in force in Palm Beach County, out of 530,976 residential structures, a penetration rate of 13%. Inside FEMA's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area there were 43,577 residential structures and 18,933... OpenFEMA NFIP penetration rates
  26. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center is the official public source for flood maps (Flood Insurance Rate Maps) produced under the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood zones apply to specific properties: look up an address there or ask the local floodplain manager. County-level ratings do not tell you the flood zone of... FEMA Flood Map Service Center
  27. Most recent federal disaster declarations for natural hazards (table on this page). OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations

FEMA's National Risk Index compares each county with all other US counties. Ratings are relative (Very Low to Very High), not a measure of safety. Never call a place safe, unsafe, good or bad to live in. Risk Index and Expected Annual Loss values are FEMA estimates for planning. They do not predict next year's losses and do not apply to a single property. Flood zones are set by FEMA flood maps for specific properties. County ratings and flood insurance counts do not tell anyone whether an address is in a flood zone. Disaster declaration, NFIP and tornado counts are records of the past for this county only. Do not compare with other counties unless a fact does.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Risk Index Dataset: National Risk Index Counties, v1.20 (December 2025). Retrieved from fema.maps.arcgis.com on October 30, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). This product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA.