Montgomery County, Tennessee: hazard risk
FEMA rates Montgomery County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 87.4 of 100, higher than 87% of rated U.S. counties); 5 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, tornado, ice storm. Its storm record holds 659 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 94.2 | $12M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 91.9 | $9.6M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 91.8 | $1.3M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 91.1 | $1.5M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 87.6 | $2.1M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 95.3 | $18M |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 87.2 | $1.6M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 84.5 | $29M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.3 | $2.3M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 56.7 | $94K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 43.1 | $102K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 52.7 | $2K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 40.9 | $36K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 28.2 | $15K |
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 | 318 | 0 | $9.4M | 28th of 95 | 335th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 84 | 0 | $30K | 49th of 95 | 1581st of 3,080 |
| Floods | 74 | 2 | $11M | 37th of 95 | 805th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 71 | 0 | $560K | 50th of 95 | 1207th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 36 | 6 | $182M | 18th of 95 | 672nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 31 | 0 | – | 42nd of 95 | 809th of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 14 | 0 | $18M | 39th of 95 | 1699th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 0 | – | 9th of 95 | 800th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $1.0M | 31st of 95 | 645th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 6 | 0 | – | 32nd of 95 | 1401st of 3,076 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 0 | – | 62nd of 95 | 2668th 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 Montgomery County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.