Sebastian County, Arkansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Sebastian County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 86.8 of 100, higher than 86% of rated U.S. counties); 4 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, tornado, lightning. Its storm record holds 1,218 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 | Very High | 99.3 | $3.8M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 94.2 | $9.8M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 93.2 | $1.4M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 91.9 | $425K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 96.4 | $7.5M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 90.4 | $1.3M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 86.5 | $5.0M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 86.1 | $25M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 56.0 | $598K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 85.1 | $2.6M |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 65.6 | $427K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 38.4 | $53K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 58.2 | $2K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 49.4 | $64K |
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 | 473 | 2 | $2.8M | 1st of 75 | 144th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 395 | 0 | $3.8M | 1st of 75 | 25th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 142 | 3 | $7.3M | 5th of 75 | 275th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 67 | 2 | – | 15th of 75 | 226th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 45 | 16 | $324M | 3rd of 75 | 133rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 41 | 0 | – | 5th of 75 | 528th of 3,063 |
| Winter storms | 33 | 0 | $809K | 60th of 75 | 2078th of 3,077 |
| Lightning | 9 | 0 | $424K | 6th of 75 | 537th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 1 | – | 55th of 75 | 2202nd of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 0 | $27K | 58th of 75 | 2628th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 3 | 0 | $8.1M | 20th of 75 | 453rd of 2,972 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Sebastian County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.