Etowah County, Alabama: hazard risk
FEMA rates Etowah County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 87.3 of 100, higher than 87% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by tornado, strong wind. Its storm record holds 658 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 | 97.8 | $17M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 94.6 | $2.2M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 87.5 | $23M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 79.0 | $517K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 77.7 | $2.3M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 88.3 | $3.1M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 77.7 | $9K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 77.6 | $1.0M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 72.7 | $161K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 68.4 | $384K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 60.1 | $286K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 56.3 | $84K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 48.3 | $97K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 27.7 | $20K |
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 | 335 | 1 | $4.1M | 9th of 67 | 338th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 134 | 0 | $224K | 7th of 67 | 714th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 38 | 0 | – | 25th of 67 | 597th of 3,063 |
| Floods | 36 | 0 | $818K | 19th of 67 | 1419th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 34 | 0 | $50M | 18th of 67 | 372nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 27 | 0 | $123K | 13th of 67 | 2248th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 0 | $610K | 7th of 67 | 1337th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 14 | 0 | $491K | 9th of 67 | 289th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 7 | 0 | – | 25th of 67 | 1260th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 0 | $1.9M | 15th of 67 | 1671st of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 0 | $99K | 14th of 67 | 448th of 1,849 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | $9K | 22nd of 67 | 1514th 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 Etowah County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.