Durham County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Durham County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 89.6 of 100, higher than 89% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by tornado, lightning, strong wind. Its storm record holds 624 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively High | 93.5 | $11M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 90.4 | $1.4M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 88.1 | $2.1M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 82.4 | $552K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 94.0 | $5.5M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 92.4 | $57M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 89.4 | $7.6M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 89.1 | $1.8M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 83.2 | $270K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 81.9 | $2.2M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 55.2 | $1.3M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 42.8 | $97K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 45.6 | $1K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 34.5 | $21K |
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 | 264 | 2 | $1.8M | 3rd of 100 | 73rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 127 | 0 | $18K | 6th of 100 | 100th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 95 | 0 | $20M | 3rd of 100 | 136th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 69 | 0 | $1.8M | 26th of 100 | 532nd of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 23 | 1 | $1.8M | 22nd of 100 | 590th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 0 | $68M | 29th of 100 | 1123rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 10 | 1 | $247K | 11th of 100 | 183rd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 8 | 1 | $1.6M | 24th of 100 | 237th of 1,849 |
| Heat | 6 | 0 | – | 4th of 100 | 976th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | – | 25th of 100 | 667th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 51st of 100 | 2082nd of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Durham County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.