Iredell County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Iredell County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 80.8 of 100, higher than 80% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm. Its storm record holds 768 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 | Relatively High | 93.6 | $1.7M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 86.6 | $35M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 85.9 | $6.7M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 83.9 | $1.9M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 76.4 | $769K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 75.8 | $3.4M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 79.8 | $2.0M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 70.3 | $744K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 63.0 | $4K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 59.9 | $110K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 53.7 | $376K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 52.4 | $209K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 46.4 | $381K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 43.3 | $39K |
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 | 331 | 2 | $2.1M | 13th of 100 | 219th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 163 | 0 | $22K | 16th of 100 | 435th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 117 | 0 | $16M | 31st of 100 | 714th of 3,077 |
| Drought | 35 | 0 | – | 31st of 100 | 754th of 3,063 |
| Floods | 30 | 1 | $3.9M | 83rd of 100 | 1713th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 24 | 0 | $1.8M | 9th of 100 | 151st of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 1 | $10.0M | 32nd of 100 | 1220th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 22 | 3 | $1.1M | 48th of 100 | 1134th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 12 | 0 | $1.4M | 32nd of 100 | 1101st of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 0 | $26K | 72nd of 100 | 1308th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 0 | $252K | 77th of 100 | 695th of 1,849 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 66th of 100 | 2039th of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Iredell County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.