Guilford County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Guilford County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 93.4 of 100, higher than 93% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, riverine flooding, winter weather. Its storm record holds 924 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Very High | 96.7 | $2.1M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 96.6 | $101M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 96.0 | $795K |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 94.2 | $1.7M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 92.2 | $2.0M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 90.3 | $7.9M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 88.7 | $6.4M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 88.5 | $6.0M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 87.0 | $2.3M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 69.0 | $922K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 67.7 | $441K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 87.8 | $3.6M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 62.9 | $3K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 43.8 | $32K |
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 | 431 | 2 | $2.5M | 25th of 100 | 331st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 206 | 0 | $2K | 26th of 100 | 606th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 142 | 2 | $28M | 13th of 100 | 351st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 86 | 0 | $11M | 49th of 100 | 1138th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 21 | 0 | $1.6M | 66th of 100 | 1484th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 16 | 2 | $102M | 62nd of 100 | 1956th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 9 | 0 | $3.1M | 45th of 100 | 578th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 7 | 0 | $4.5M | 58th of 100 | 459th of 1,849 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 0 | – | 82nd of 100 | 2527th of 3,076 |
| Heat | 2 | 1 | – | 67th of 100 | 2078th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 93rd of 100 | 2075th 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 Guilford County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.