Avery County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Avery County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 47.5 of 100, higher than 47% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 681 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 96.9 | $205K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 72.6 | $408K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 72.3 | $188K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 64.4 | $7.9M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 62.2 | $1.2M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 61.5 | $180K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 39.5 | $309K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 38.6 | $601K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 31.6 | $24K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 51.5 | $224K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 34.3 | $14K |
| Hail | Very Low | 27.6 | $80K |
| Drought | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
| Heat Wave | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 403 | 0 | $94M | 2nd of 100 | 5th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 59 | 0 | – | 23rd of 100 | 580th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 52 | 0 | $27K | 82nd of 100 | 1613th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 49 | 0 | $1.3M | 6th of 100 | 133rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 38 | 6 | $81M | 14th of 100 | 418th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 35 | 0 | – | 4th of 100 | 117th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 30 | 1 | $1.4M | 2nd of 100 | 118th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 0 | $6K | 19th of 100 | 572nd of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 3 | 0 | $4.0M | 3rd of 100 | 72nd of 2,278 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $34K | 46th of 100 | 593rd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $8.5M | 64th of 100 | 553rd of 1,849 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 0 | $234K | 92nd of 100 | 2496th 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 Avery County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.