Alexander County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Alexander County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 45.8 of 100, higher than 45% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm. Its storm record holds 422 events since 1950.
FEMA's rating for each hazard
These are FEMA's county-wide model ratings and this county's storm record. They are not an assessment of any property, address or building, and not insurance advice: a property's risk depends on its own elevation, construction and location.
FEMA gives each hazard its own rating, and a rating does not follow the score from one hazard to the next: a hazard with a higher score can carry a lower rating than another. The table sorts by FEMA's rating, then by score (0 to 100, the county against every other county for that hazard).
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score | Expected annual loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 87.6 | $541K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 56.6 | $478K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 67.8 | $355K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 60.3 | $6.6M |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 56.6 | $216K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 53.3 | $1.0M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 52.8 | $129K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 47.2 | $620K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 42.2 | $140K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 26.8 | $19K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 59.1 | $314K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 56.8 | $2K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 28.1 | $9K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 28.1 | $88K |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release. A model of future loss, not a count of past events. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
What the record holds
| Hazard | Records | Deaths | Damage | Rank in state | Rank in U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 129 | 0 | $2.0M | 18th of 100 | 255th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 119 | 0 | $13M | 11th of 100 | 154th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 61 | 0 | – | 21st of 100 | 534th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 37 | 0 | – | 3rd of 100 | 115th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 19 | 0 | $2.5M | 20th of 100 | 547th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 17 | 7 | $695K | 67th of 100 | 1430th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 12 | 0 | $1.4M | 10th of 100 | 543rd of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 1 | $2.6M | 39th of 100 | 1319th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $711K | 23rd of 100 | 309th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 46th of 100 | 1646th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $472K | 65th of 100 | 570th of 1,849 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | $2K | 81st of 100 | 1496th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Alexander County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.