Madison County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Madison County's overall risk Very Low (score 27.4 of 100, higher than 27% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 651 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 95.6 | $155K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 69.9 | $504K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 62.9 | $153K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 53.1 | $1.1M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 46.8 | $6.1M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 29.5 | $291K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 25.6 | $24K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 62.6 | $101K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 47.6 | $247K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 41.6 | $34K |
| Hail | Very Low | 26.7 | $102K |
| Tornado | Very Low | 25.3 | $375K |
| Drought | Very Low | 15.2 | $667 |
| Heat Wave | No Rating | 0.0 | $0 |
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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 311 | 0 | – | 5th of 100 | 55th of 3,077 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 107 | 0 | $69K | 71st of 100 | 1351st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 75 | 0 | $33K | 60th of 100 | 1331st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 44 | 6 | $81M | 34th of 100 | 873rd of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 38 | 0 | $1.1M | 19th of 100 | 435th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 34 | 0 | – | 20th of 100 | 544th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 24 | 0 | $4.3M | 8th of 100 | 443rd of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 7 | 0 | $2.6M | 88th of 100 | 2467th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 6 | 0 | – | 27th of 100 | 693rd of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 3 | 1 | $359K | 66th of 100 | 1009th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 0 | $1.9M | 82nd of 100 | 741st 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.