Newton County, Arkansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Newton County's overall risk Very Low (score 18.4 of 100, higher than 18% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by lightning, ice storm. Its storm record holds 535 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 | Relatively High | 84.9 | $540K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 82.8 | $299K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 81.8 | $12K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 51.1 | $760K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 43.0 | $432K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 36.6 | $217K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 34.0 | $21K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 51.0 | $30K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 38.2 | $81K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 37.1 | $117K |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | 21.3 | $1.5M |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 17.7 | $3K |
| Hail | Very Low | 16.1 | $33K |
| Drought | 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 152 | 0 | $2.1M | 71st of 75 | 2015th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 142 | 0 | $1K | 47th of 75 | 1251st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 129 | 0 | $1.7M | 9th of 75 | 1139th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 39 | 1 | $13M | 70th of 75 | 1758th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 17 | 0 | – | 64th of 75 | 1617th of 3,063 |
| Tornadoes | 16 | 0 | $1.5M | 73rd of 75 | 2097th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 9 | 0 | – | 66th of 75 | 1413th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 0 | – | 32nd of 75 | 1088th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 0 | – | 38th of 75 | 1917th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 0 | $483K | 49th of 75 | 2440th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 0 | $1.3M | 46th of 75 | 714th of 1,849 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | – | 36th of 75 | 791st of 2,972 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | – | 65th of 75 | 2155th of 3,080 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Newton County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.