Craighead County, Arkansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Craighead County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 91.8 of 100, higher than 91% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, tornado, cold wave. Its storm record holds 898 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 | 99.5 | $3.8M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 97.7 | $18M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 93.6 | $7.9M |
| Drought | Relatively High | 92.1 | $1.6M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 91.0 | $356K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 84.8 | $754K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 97.8 | $36M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 95.2 | $5.2M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 78.8 | $15M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 75.0 | $912K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 70.1 | $5K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 67.4 | $411K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 56.8 | $119K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 43.8 | $27K |
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 | 301 | 1 | $3.8M | 11th of 75 | 726th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 195 | 0 | $269K | 20th of 75 | 540th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 120 | 1 | – | 8th of 75 | 149th of 3,076 |
| Floods | 93 | 3 | $7.1M | 22nd of 75 | 719th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 66 | 1 | $6.3M | 30th of 75 | 1612th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 54 | 38 | $439M | 18th of 75 | 622nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 28 | 0 | – | 26th of 75 | 1144th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 19 | 1 | $229K | 1st of 75 | 1619th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 1 | – | 6th of 75 | 1200th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $132K | 22nd of 75 | 830th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | $29K | 49th of 75 | 1684th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 0 | $391K | 64th of 75 | 978th 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 Craighead County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.