Lauderdale County, Alabama: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lauderdale County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 85.5 of 100, higher than 85% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by strong wind, cold wave, tornado. Its storm record holds 2,199 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 94.1 | $2.6M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 93.5 | $9.1M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 92.0 | $7.9M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 86.7 | $952K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 92.5 | $7.5M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.6 | $1.9M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 84.2 | $23M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 63.9 | $151K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 61.1 | $219K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 53.7 | $178K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 41.2 | $45K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 40.7 | $654 |
| Hail | Very Low | 30.1 | $112K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 23.8 | $9K |
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 | 1,346 | 3 | $17M | 2nd of 67 | 125th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 212 | 0 | $448K | 8th of 67 | 786th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 211 | 3 | $3.0M | 1st of 67 | 385th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 102 | 1 | – | 3rd of 67 | 211th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 73 | 0 | $1.9M | 7th of 67 | 169th of 3,076 |
| Winter storms | 62 | 2 | $3.7M | 5th of 67 | 1667th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 48 | 2 | $22M | 24th of 67 | 489th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 44 | 1 | $5.4M | 2nd of 67 | 685th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 42 | 0 | – | 36th of 67 | 748th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 33 | 1 | $263K | 3rd of 67 | 139th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 0 | $92K | 5th of 67 | 760th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 0 | $27K | 47th of 67 | 655th of 1,849 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 0 | – | 4th of 67 | 201st of 2,080 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 4th of 67 | 1010th of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Lauderdale County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.