Essex County, NY
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Essex County has experienced 25 federally declared disasters since 1993, most recently Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Flooding in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Essex County's highest-rated hazards are landslide, avalanche, and lightning, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 69% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Essex County has been designated in 25 declarations since 1993, covering 9 disaster types including severe storm (7), flood (4), hurricane (4).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Flood | Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2023 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2020 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| 2013 | Flood | Severe Storms And Flooding |
| 2013 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2011 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Tornadoes, And Straight-Line Winds |
Showing the 10 most recent of 25 total declarations since 1993.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 24.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 76.9 | 25 | 0 | $6.7M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 72.8 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 31 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 23.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 65.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 12.4 | 17 | 0 | $10K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 36.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 68.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 75.3 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 51.8 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 81 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Drought | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively High | 98 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Relatively Moderate | 81.4 | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Essex County ranks in the 35th percentile (Low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 35th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 31st | Low |
| Household characteristics | 28th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 22nd | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 64th | Moderate |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 14th | Very Low |
| Risk to homes | 14th | Very Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 79.0% | — |
NOAA tracked 43 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 16 in 2016–20 vs 27 in 2021–25 (+69% — frequency increasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Essex County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Essex County, New York are landslide, avalanche, and lightning. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Essex County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Essex County has received 25 federal disaster declarations since 1993, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (7 declarations).
Has Essex County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Essex County include Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2024), Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1993.
How does Essex County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Clinton County, NY has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Hamilton County, NY has the lowest (Very Low). Essex County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Essex County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Essex County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Essex County's composite score of 63 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 63% of US counties.