St. Lawrence County, NY
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
St. Lawrence County has experienced 19 federally declared disasters since 1991, most recently Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Flooding in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
St. Lawrence County's highest-rated hazards are cold wave, ice storm, and winter weather, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have decreased 37% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period. Community vulnerability is elevated (71st percentile nationally), suggesting residents may face greater difficulty recovering from major disasters.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. St. Lawrence County has been designated in 19 declarations since 1991, covering 9 disaster types including snowstorm (6), flood (3), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Flood | Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2023 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| 2023 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018 | Flood | Flooding |
| 2015 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding |
| 2013 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sandy |
| 2005 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
Showing the 10 most recent of 19 total declarations since 1991.
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 | 33.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 85 | 8 | 0 | $7.3M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 86.5 | 1 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 37.4 | 4 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Very Low | 24.2 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 59.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 3.6 | 15 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 35.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 87.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 87.3 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 88.6 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 77.6 | 3 | 0 | $52K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 77.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Very Low | 17.8 | — | — | — |
| 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
St. Lawrence County ranks in the 71st percentile (Moderate) 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 | 71st | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 67th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 29th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 23rd | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 98th | High |
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 | 7th | Very Low |
| Risk to homes | 7th | Very Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 74.5% | — |
NOAA tracked 31 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 19 in 2016–20 vs 12 in 2021–25 (-37% — frequency decreasing).
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 St. Lawrence County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in St. Lawrence County, New York are cold wave, ice storm, and winter weather. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has St. Lawrence County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. St. Lawrence County has received 19 federal disaster declarations since 1991, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is snowstorm (6 declarations).
Has St. Lawrence County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for St. Lawrence County include Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2024), Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1991.
How does St. Lawrence County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Jefferson County, NY has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Hamilton County, NY has the lowest (Very Low). St. Lawrence County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is St. Lawrence County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
St. Lawrence 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. St. Lawrence County's composite score of 78 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 78% of US counties.