Houston County, Alabama: hazard risk
FEMA rates Houston County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 87.8 of 100, higher than 87% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by tornado, lightning, hurricane. Its storm record holds 863 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 | 95.9 | $11M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 93.9 | $1.2M |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 93.8 | $13M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 87.3 | $1.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 87.2 | $23M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 79.8 | $1.2M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 77.7 | $638K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 76.2 | $2.3M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 72.7 | $757K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 58.2 | $97K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 49.7 | $50K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 37.7 | $129K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 51.9 | $41K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 38.6 | $470 |
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 | 538 | 5 | $7.4M | 7th of 67 | 208th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 93 | 0 | $28K | 30th of 67 | 1592nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 79 | 0 | $158M | 22nd of 67 | 1472nd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 63 | 1 | $30M | 3rd of 67 | 68th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 47 | 0 | – | 16th of 67 | 477th of 3,063 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 11 | 0 | $5.3M | 5th of 67 | 336th of 1,849 |
| Lightning | 10 | 1 | $720K | 18th of 67 | 431st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 7 | 0 | – | 33rd of 67 | 1326th of 3,076 |
| Winter storms | 5 | 0 | $249K | 58th of 67 | 2902nd of 3,077 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 0 | $1K | 11th of 67 | 1134th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 0 | $50K | 48th of 67 | 2261st of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 0 | $1K | 59th of 67 | 2894th 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 Houston County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.