Benton County, Arkansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Benton County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 88.7 of 100, higher than 88% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, winter weather, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,346 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 | 99.9 | $11M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 96.2 | $1.0M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 94.6 | $2.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 93.3 | $3.1M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 94.7 | $7.1M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 92.8 | $2.6M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 90.4 | $50M |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 87.7 | $52K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 82.3 | $1.2M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 81.0 | $4.7M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 79.5 | $4.7M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 86.8 | $4.0M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 45.7 | $129K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 52.4 | $109K |
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 | 537 | 3 | $37M | 8th of 75 | 593rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 469 | 0 | $7.2M | 9th of 75 | 269th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 145 | 10 | $11M | 25th of 75 | 854th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 69 | 0 | $143M | 15th of 75 | 577th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 57 | 0 | $42M | 57th of 75 | 1996th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 35 | 0 | – | 23rd of 75 | 1116th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 16 | 1 | $613K | 5th of 75 | 422nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 8 | 4 | – | 71st of 75 | 1508th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 0 | $569K | 43rd of 75 | 2378th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 0 | – | 74th of 75 | 2746th of 3,076 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | $656K | 53rd of 75 | 1086th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Benton County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.