FEMA Records
2
Total declarations
Alabama · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Dale County, AL
2 FEMA disaster declarations (2016–2024), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Hurricane.
- 2
- FEMA declarations
- 1
- Major disasters
- 68
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Hurricane
- Top hazard
The verdict
Dale County ranks in the riskiest 32% of U.S. counties for FEMA-modeled hazard risk, with more federally declared disasters than 22% of the 2,791 counties FEMA tracks. FEMA rates the county's overall risk as Relatively Low, based on 2 federal disaster declarations recorded since 2016, most often hurricane, 48% below the national county average of 4.
- Riskiest 32%
- of U.S. counties for FEMA National Risk Index score
- Relatively Low
- FEMA National Risk Index rating
- 2
- FEMA declarations vs 4 national county avg
- 1
- hurricane declarations, the most common hazard here
FEMA's National Risk Index score reflects expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience; the declaration count above reflects only Presidentially declared disasters, not every hazard event.
How does Dale County compare?
Dale County vs. every U.S. county
FEMA disaster declarations, all-time
2 22nd percentile higher than 22% of 2,791 counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 · 2026-07-25
Dale County's FEMA Risk Index score
FEMA National Risk Index composite score vs. the Alabama county average
How disaster-prone is Dale County?
Declaration frequency
Dale County, Alabama has recorded 2 FEMA disaster declarations between 2016 and 2024, of which 1 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 0.3 declarations per year across a 8-year record, or roughly 17% below the Alabama county average of 2.4 and 48% below the national county average of 3.8. The dominant disaster type on record is Hurricane, with 1 of 2 declarations falling under this category.
FEMA National Risk Index
This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 67.7/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Relatively Low (roughly $18.5M in annualized losses), and a Very High social-vulnerability profile combined with Very Low community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Hurricane carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Flood exposure & the bottom line
Taken together, Dale County reads as low relative risk on this historical lens, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Low
vs. Alabama Avg
-17%
State avg: 2.4
vs. National Avg
-48%
National avg: 3.8
Avg Per Year
0.3
Over 8 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Dale County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Dale County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
01045
AL state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Hurricane 1
Severe Storm 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Emergency - 1 50.0%
of all 2 declarations
Major Disaster - 1 50.0%
of all 2 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3618 | HURRICANE HELENE | EM | Hurricane | 2024-09-26 |
| 4251 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR | Severe Storm | 2016-01-21 |
Storm Events in Alabama
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 9,825 | 21 | 143 | $64.2M |
| Hail | 1,625 | 0 | 0 | $5.0K |
| Flash Flood | 1,260 | 22 | 10 | $13.3M |
| Tornado | 1,115 | 63 | 374 | $58.9M |
| Drought | 968 | 0 | 0 | $0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Relatively Low
Score: 67.7/100
Expected Annual Loss
Relatively Low
$18.5M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Hurricane Relatively Moderate
Tornado Relatively Moderate
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Heat Wave Relatively Low
Landslide Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Hail Very Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Ice Storm Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Alabama
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Dale County, Alabama had?
Dale County, Alabama has received 2 FEMA disaster declarations from 2016 to 2024. Of these, 1 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Dale County?
The most common disaster type in Dale County is Hurricane, with 1 declaration. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (1).
How does Dale County's disaster risk compare to the Alabama average?
Dale County has 2 disaster declarations, which is 17% lower than the Alabama county average of 2.4 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.8, it is 48% lower.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Dale County received?
Dale County has received 1 major disaster declaration, representing 50% of all 2 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Alabama?
The most common storm types in Alabama include Thunderstorm Wind (9,825 events), Hail (1,625 events), Flash Flood (1,260 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Dale County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Dale County was 2016, with 1 declaration. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2016 to 2024.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Dale County?
Dale County's 2 FEMA disaster declarations put it in the low-risk band, fewer federally recognized disasters than a typical U.S. county over the same span.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Dale County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Dale County, Alabama has an overall risk score of 67.7 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very High and community resilience is Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Relatively Low, representing $18.5M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Dale County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Dale County is Hurricane (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Tornado (Relatively Moderate) and Lightning (Relatively Moderate). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Dale County
Dale County, AL runs 17% below the Alabama county average for federal disaster declarations (2 vs 2), a low historical load overall.
- Its most common federal declaration type is emergency (1 of 2) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Alabama overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, this profile draws on 2,791 tracked U.S. counties in FEMA's Disaster Declarations Summaries dataset, refreshed as of 2026-07-25. Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.