Polk County, Arkansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Polk County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 46.1 of 100, higher than 46% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm. Its storm record holds 703 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 91.9 | $759K |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 80.4 | $603K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 64.7 | $72K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 58.8 | $215K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 57.9 | $462K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 82.4 | $356K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 75.3 | $6K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 68.4 | $574K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 63.5 | $1.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 53.4 | $4.9M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 28.5 | $259K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 55.5 | $247K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 45.8 | $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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 211 | 0 | – | 27th of 75 | 780th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 197 | 0 | $1.3M | 57th of 75 | 1747th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 104 | 0 | $10M | 28th of 75 | 1573rd of 3,077 |
| Floods | 69 | 0 | $6.1M | 36th of 75 | 1294th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 37 | 4 | $298M | 40th of 75 | 1240th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 23 | 0 | – | 47th of 75 | 1432nd of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 13 | 0 | – | 13th of 75 | 772nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 9 | 0 | – | 68th of 75 | 1443rd of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $274K | 16th of 75 | 765th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 8 | 0 | – | 4th of 75 | 295th of 2,972 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 0 | – | 43rd of 75 | 1955th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 0 | $487K | 51st of 75 | 2462nd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 0 | $1.5M | 40th of 75 | 660th 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 Polk County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.