Rowan County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Rowan County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 82.9 of 100, higher than 82% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, cold wave. Its storm record holds 694 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 | 94.9 | $1.6M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 94.6 | $11M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 85.7 | $5.3M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 84.8 | $25M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 72.6 | $1.0M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 72.4 | $523K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 71.4 | $555K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 69.7 | $124K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 83.0 | $2.2M |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 72.4 | $711K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 50.9 | $376K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 47.8 | $231K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 47.7 | $40K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 35.9 | $466 |
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 | 340 | 0 | $3.7M | 8th of 100 | 161st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 111 | 0 | $141K | 33rd of 100 | 816th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 97 | 1 | $16M | 36th of 100 | 769th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 42 | 0 | $942K | 54th of 100 | 1220th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 35 | 0 | – | 25th of 100 | 632nd of 3,063 |
| High wind and dust storms | 18 | 0 | $288K | 53rd of 100 | 1221st of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 4 | $1.4M | 25th of 100 | 955th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 13 | 0 | $641K | 18th of 100 | 273rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 13 | 0 | $5.7M | 58th of 100 | 1874th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 0 | $167K | 55th of 100 | 1038th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 3 | 0 | $68K | 71st of 100 | 659th of 1,849 |
| Heat | 2 | 0 | – | 64th of 100 | 1988th 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 Rowan County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.