Polk County, Tennessee: hazard risk
FEMA rates Polk County's overall risk Very Low (score 31.2 of 100, higher than 31% of rated U.S. counties). Its storm record holds 355 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 | 96.6 | $159K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 69.1 | $641K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 75.6 | $187K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 70.8 | $560K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 50.9 | $161K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 50.7 | $853K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 42.8 | $58K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 42.6 | $3.6M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 40.6 | $453K |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 31.7 | $24K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 46.0 | $34K |
| Hail | Very Low | 29.3 | $77K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 18.7 | $37K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 16.9 | $10K |
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 | 202 | 1 | $2.0M | 35th of 95 | 408th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 56 | 0 | – | 84th of 95 | 1824th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 46 | 0 | $202 | 62nd of 95 | 1710th of 3,080 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 0 | $273K | 32nd of 95 | 1573rd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 15 | 0 | $6.8M | 95th of 95 | 2099th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 3 | $14M | 57th of 95 | 1685th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 2 | 0 | – | 81st of 95 | 2376th of 3,063 |
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.