Harris County, Texas, home to Houston, has the highest expected yearly hurricane losses of any US county, about $458 million a year in FEMA’s National Risk Index. Seven of the top ten are in Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina.
Per resident, the picture changes. Smaller coastal counties in the Carolinas, Florida and Louisiana carry much more hurricane risk per person than the big metro counties.
Highest total expected hurricane losses
| Rank | County | Expected hurricane loss per year | Per resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harris County, TX | $458 million | $97 |
| 2 | Miami-Dade County, FL | $331 million | $123 |
| 3 | Lee County, FL | $300 million | $395 |
| 4 | Palm Beach County, FL | $287 million | $193 |
| 5 | Brevard County, FL | $281 million | $464 |
| 6 | Charleston County, SC | $281 million | $690 |
| 7 | Broward County, FL | $280 million | $144 |
| 8 | Jefferson Parish, LA | $251 million | $569 |
| 9 | Orleans Parish, LA | $223 million | $581 |
| 10 | Collier County, FL | $216 million | $575 |
Highest hurricane loss per resident (counties over 100,000 people)
| Rank | County | Per resident per year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beaufort County, SC | $1,075 |
| 2 | Craven County, NC | $923 |
| 3 | Onslow County, NC | $841 |
| 4 | Indian River County, FL | $827 |
| 5 | Terrebonne Parish, LA | $815 |
| 6 | Brunswick County, NC | $812 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Expected loss covers buildings, crops and a value for lives lost and injuries.
Which states have the most high-risk counties?
47 counties have a Very High hurricane rating. Florida has 21 of them, Louisiana 7, and North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas 5 each. Alabama has 2.
The North Carolina entries surprise some people. The state’s low-lying coast sticks out into the Atlantic, so storms that miss Florida often hit it, and slow-moving storms like Florence in 2018 bring huge rain totals.
It isn’t only the coast
Hurricane ratings are highest on the coast, but rain flooding from tropical storms reaches far inland. In 2024, Hurricane Helene caused deadly flooding in the North Carolina mountains, hundreds of miles from where it made landfall in Florida. Inland flooding, often from tropical rain, is the costliest hazard in most US counties.
That is why each county page shows hurricane and inland flood ratings side by side, along with every hurricane and tropical storm declaration that included the county.
What it means for insurance
- Wind damage is normally covered by home insurance, but coastal policies often carry a separate hurricane deductible of 1% to 5% of the home’s insured value.
- Storm surge and rain flooding need a flood policy. Federal flood policies usually take 30 days to start.
- In parts of Florida and Louisiana, many homeowners now buy wind cover from a state-backed insurer of last resort because private options are limited or expensive.
Questions people ask
Which Florida counties have the lowest hurricane risk? Inland counties in north and central Florida generally score lowest, though no Florida county is free of hurricane risk. Our state page for Florida ranks every county.
Why is Houston at the top if hurricanes hit Florida more? Size. Harris County has more people and buildings than any Florida county, so even a moderate storm causes very large losses in dollars.
Does a higher-category storm always cause more damage? No. Category measures wind only. Slow storms with lots of rain, like Harvey in 2017, can cause more damage than stronger, faster storms.
This page shares public data and is not advice. This site is independent and is not part of FEMA or any government agency.