Franklin County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Franklin County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 51.7 of 100, higher than 51% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by winter weather. Its storm record holds 490 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 88.3 | $358K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 78.4 | $833K |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 70.8 | $2.6M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 70.3 | $501K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 57.3 | $671K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 74.6 | $940K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 70.8 | $567K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 67.7 | $814K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 56.3 | $1.2M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 56.0 | $7.9M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 43.3 | $62K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 54.2 | $341K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 27.0 | $12K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 19.6 | $110 |
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 | 252 | 1 | $9.2M | 31st of 100 | 455th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 68 | 0 | $12M | 64th of 100 | 1427th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 66 | 1 | $666K | 48th of 100 | 1131st of 3,077 |
| Floods | 46 | 1 | $51K | 65th of 100 | 1403rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 1 | $1.8M | 58th of 100 | 1315th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 13 | 0 | $68M | 60th of 100 | 1919th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 11 | 1 | $2.3M | 33rd of 100 | 292nd of 1,849 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 0 | – | 40th of 100 | 862nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 6 | 0 | – | 21st of 100 | 1312th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 71st of 100 | 2399th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 2 | 1 | $28K | 75th of 100 | 1402nd 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 Franklin County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.