DeKalb County, Tennessee: hazard risk
FEMA rates DeKalb County's overall risk Very Low (score 25.5 of 100, higher than 25% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 318 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 Moderate | 56.1 | $575K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 69.0 | $658K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 58.7 | $77K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 52.5 | $152K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 51.7 | $899K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 48.9 | $1.1M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 48.7 | $219K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 43.6 | $164K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 30.6 | $29K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 57.2 | $2K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 47.7 | $53K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 34.5 | $3.6M |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 24.4 | $81K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 7.7 | $2K |
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 | 129 | 0 | $2.4M | 52nd of 95 | 625th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 60 | 0 | $509K | 17th of 95 | 728th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 39 | 0 | – | 8th of 95 | 152nd of 3,063 |
| Hail | 39 | 0 | $4.3M | 63rd of 95 | 1716th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 21 | 0 | $103K | 63rd of 95 | 1197th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 1 | $8.0M | 28th of 95 | 899th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 6 | 0 | $22K | 46th of 95 | 1825th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $80K | 20th of 95 | 446th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 0 | – | 44th of 95 | 2499th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 1 | 0 | – | 49th of 95 | 2057th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 34th of 95 | 1594th of 3,080 |
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.