Hale County, Alabama: hazard risk
FEMA rates Hale County's overall risk Very Low (score 39.1 of 100, higher than 39% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning. Its storm record holds 333 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | 93.9 | $1.0M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 68.2 | $1.5M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 68.7 | $341K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 65.8 | $408K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 58.9 | $357K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 51.5 | $372K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 41.8 | $3.3M |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 38.2 | $36K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 32.0 | $300K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 28.7 | $19K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 50.3 | $874 |
| Hail | Very Low | 30.5 | $78K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 25.6 | $7K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 5.5 | $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 | 111 | 0 | $1.8M | 54th of 67 | 2003rd of 3,080 |
| Hail | 61 | 0 | $500K | 46th of 67 | 2235th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 58 | 10 | $203M | 11th of 67 | 222nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 40 | 0 | – | 33rd of 67 | 737th of 3,063 |
| Floods | 18 | 0 | $246K | 47th of 67 | 2190th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 11 | 0 | $66K | 37th of 67 | 2737th of 3,077 |
| Heat | 10 | 0 | – | 18th of 67 | 1144th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 1 | $3.2M | 27th of 67 | 2121st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 0 | $1.9M | 31st of 67 | 1839th of 3,076 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 0 | $3.3M | 35th of 67 | 566th of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | $29K | 47th of 67 | 1592nd of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 0 | – | 46th of 67 | 2071st 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 Hale County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.