Idaho lightning risk
Ada County has the highest lightning risk in Idaho, scoring 90.1 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ada County | 90.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 2 | Bonneville County | 89.5 | Relatively High | 6 |
| 3 | Madison County | 88.3 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 4 | Canyon County | 84.9 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 5 | Bannock County | 80 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 6 | Lemhi County | 78.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 7 | Bingham County | 74.4 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 8 | Cassia County | 69.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 9 | Teton County | 69.1 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 10 | Fremont County | 68 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 11 | Jefferson County | 54.7 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 12 | Twin Falls County | 54.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 13 | Blaine County | 53.9 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 14 | Minidoka County | 51.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 15 | Bonner County | 46.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 16 | Custer County | 43.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 17 | Franklin County | 39.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 18 | Caribou County | 39 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 19 | Idaho County | 33.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 20 | Jerome County | 28.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 21 | Valley County | 27 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 22 | Bear Lake County | 26.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 23 | Kootenai County | 24.5 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 24 | Elmore County | 22 | Very Low | 0 |
| 25 | Payette County | 21.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 26 | Gooding County | 21.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 27 | Power County | 21.4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 28 | Gem County | 19.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 29 | Owyhee County | 18.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 30 | Boundary County | 17.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 31 | Washington County | 17.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 32 | Oneida County | 13.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 33 | Lincoln County | 12.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 34 | Adams County | 9.5 | Very Low | 0 |
| 35 | Boise County | 9.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 36 | Nez Perce County | 8.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 37 | Latah County | 6.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 38 | Shoshone County | 5.9 | Very Low | 1 |
| 39 | Butte County | 4.8 | Very Low | 1 |
| 40 | Clearwater County | 4.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 41 | Benewah County | 3.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 42 | Clark County | 3.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 43 | Lewis County | 2.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 44 | Camas County | 1.7 | Very Low | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Lightning risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Idaho:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest lightning risk county in Idaho?
Ada County, ID has the highest lightning risk in Idaho, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 90.1 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes lightning risk in Idaho?
Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.