Nevada lightning risk
Washoe County has the highest lightning risk in Nevada, scoring 90.9 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washoe County | 90.9 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 2 | Clark County | 85.8 | Relatively High | 13 |
| 3 | Nye County | 83.8 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 4 | Douglas County | 64.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 5 | Lyon County | 55.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 6 | Elko County | 51.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 7 | Carson City | 50.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 8 | Churchill County | 26 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 9 | Lincoln County | 22.3 | Very Low | 0 |
| 10 | White Pine County | 16.1 | Very Low | 0 |
| 11 | Humboldt County | 11.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 12 | Pershing County | 11.2 | Very Low | 0 |
| 13 | Mineral County | 10.9 | Very Low | 0 |
| 14 | Lander County | 10.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 15 | Esmeralda County | 4.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 16 | Storey County | 4 | Very Low | 0 |
| 17 | Eureka County | 2.2 | 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 Nevada:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest lightning risk county in Nevada?
Washoe County, NV has the highest lightning risk in Nevada, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 90.9 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes lightning risk in Nevada?
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.