Baxter County, Arkansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Baxter County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 72.3 of 100, higher than 72% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, strong wind. Its storm record holds 716 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 | Very High | 99.4 | $2.9M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 93.1 | $1.7M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 86.8 | $3.9M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 81.0 | $512K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 79.6 | $139K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 72.6 | $1.6M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 86.0 | $2.1M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 82.3 | $15K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 76.0 | $824K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 71.9 | $136K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 64.4 | $7.1M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 34.5 | $97K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 35.9 | $15K |
| Drought | 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 266 | 1 | $2.9M | 14th of 75 | 840th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 209 | 0 | – | 8th of 75 | 264th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 111 | 1 | $74M | 2nd of 75 | 760th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 38 | 0 | $12M | 40th of 75 | 1347th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 22 | 5 | $93M | 41st of 75 | 1247th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 15 | 0 | – | 44th of 75 | 1416th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 14 | 0 | – | 7th of 75 | 645th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 1 | $477K | 8th of 75 | 1987th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 0 | – | 18th of 75 | 1573rd of 3,076 |
| Heat | 7 | 0 | – | 54th of 75 | 1283rd of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $90K | 8th of 75 | 559th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 5 | 0 | $81K | 6th of 75 | 305th of 2,972 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 0 | $1.7M | 21st of 75 | 591st of 1,849 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Baxter County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.