Caldwell County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Caldwell County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 67.4 of 100, higher than 67% 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 957 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 | 88.0 | $732K |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 90.5 | $56K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 79.0 | $18M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 74.1 | $1.0M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 70.7 | $482K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 77.6 | $1.3M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 66.0 | $373K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 62.1 | $1.8M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 50.9 | $146K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 50.7 | $922K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 46.8 | $218K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 39.3 | $210K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 36.3 | $37K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 52.0 | $50K |
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 | 314 | 0 | $16M | 9th of 100 | 146th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 151 | 1 | $895K | 53rd of 100 | 893rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 134 | 0 | $3.5M | 4th of 100 | 112th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 127 | 0 | $79K | 17th of 100 | 479th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 90 | 0 | $55M | 12th of 100 | 337th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 77 | 0 | $15M | 13th of 100 | 334th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 29 | 0 | $2.9M | 9th of 100 | 535th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 0 | $4.8M | 65th of 100 | 1979th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 9 | 0 | $440K | 34th of 100 | 389th of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 3 | 0 | $8K | 10th of 100 | 123rd of 2,278 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 80th of 100 | 1451st of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $1.9M | 94th of 100 | 909th of 1,849 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 14th of 100 | 860th 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 Caldwell County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.