Madison County, Alabama: hazard risk
FEMA rates Madison County's overall risk Relatively High (score 94.6 of 100, higher than 94% of rated U.S. counties); 7 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, tornado, strong wind. Its storm record holds 2,450 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 | Very High | 96.9 | $2.7M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 98.5 | $32M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 97.4 | $4.9M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 96.6 | $16M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | 95.9 | $99M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 95.3 | $778K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 90.6 | $1.1M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 94.8 | $15M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 94.2 | $5.7M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 70.5 | $685K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 60.6 | $326K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 51.4 | $307K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 36.1 | $23K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 35.8 | $531 |
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 | 1,055 | 13 | $25M | 3rd of 67 | 136th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 471 | 0 | $714K | 2nd of 67 | 371st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 247 | 3 | $5.7M | 3rd of 67 | 456th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 176 | 0 | – | 1st of 67 | 85th of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 115 | 1 | $1.9M | 1st of 67 | 106th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 96 | 48 | $1.3B | 4th of 67 | 95th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 77 | 1 | $2.8M | 4th of 67 | 1650th of 3,077 |
| Lightning | 69 | 5 | $4.3M | 1st of 67 | 53rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 53 | 0 | $181K | 32nd of 67 | 696th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 41 | 2 | $8.2M | 3rd of 67 | 896th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 26 | 0 | $130K | 1st of 67 | 378th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | – | 67th of 67 | 874th of 1,849 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Madison County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.