DeKalb County, Alabama: hazard risk
FEMA rates DeKalb County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 80.4 of 100, higher than 80% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind. Its storm record holds 1,221 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 90.8 | $1.6M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 88.3 | $4.7M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 87.6 | $4.3M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 87.3 | $1.0M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 81.7 | $16M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 77.6 | $136K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 73.3 | $408K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 65.2 | $125K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 87.0 | $29K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 85.6 | $2.2M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 73.8 | $170K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 69.7 | $420K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 64.0 | $516K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 55.3 | $239K |
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 | 581 | 0 | $5.8M | 13th of 67 | 562nd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 197 | 0 | $810K | 12th of 67 | 966th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 86 | 3 | $3.7M | 13th of 67 | 1199th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 77 | 0 | $1.9M | 9th of 67 | 216th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 74 | 34 | $76M | 19th of 67 | 373rd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 66 | 0 | $2.3M | 6th of 67 | 1761st of 3,077 |
| Drought | 49 | 0 | – | 35th of 67 | 743rd of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 29 | 1 | $2.5M | 6th of 67 | 1154th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 18 | 0 | – | 13th of 67 | 923rd of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 17 | 0 | $19K | 6th of 67 | 852nd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 17 | 0 | $730K | 13th of 67 | 353rd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 0 | $3K | 62nd of 67 | 775th of 1,849 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | – | 3rd of 67 | 768th 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 DeKalb County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.