Lawrence County, Tennessee: hazard risk
FEMA rates Lawrence County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 69.7 of 100, higher than 69% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by tornado, lightning. Its storm record holds 846 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 | 91.3 | $6.3M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 91.0 | $997K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.1 | $3.7M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 59.7 | $570K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 89.2 | $3.6M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 58.2 | $96K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 56.9 | $6.4M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 56.6 | $63K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 55.7 | $382K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 31.1 | $22K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 54.7 | $92K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 40.4 | $529 |
| Hail | Very Low | 21.0 | $59K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 14.1 | $4K |
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 | 384 | 0 | $3.5M | 45th of 95 | 518th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 146 | 0 | $12K | 17th of 95 | 815th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 142 | 3 | $11M | 5th of 95 | 319th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 51 | 0 | $346K | 82nd of 95 | 1781st of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 42 | 3 | $48M | 8th of 95 | 333rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 32 | 0 | – | 49th of 95 | 909th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 16 | 0 | $919K | 41st of 95 | 1750th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 15 | 3 | $962K | 10th of 95 | 322nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 5 | 0 | – | 39th of 95 | 1611th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 0 | – | 18th of 95 | 1179th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 0 | – | 67th of 95 | 2701st 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 Lawrence County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.