Surry County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Surry County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 73.6 of 100, higher than 73% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by cold wave, strong wind, ice storm. Its storm record holds 938 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | 92.0 | $7.0M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 84.2 | $1.3M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 83.3 | $445K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 77.3 | $15M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 66.0 | $343K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 75.2 | $8K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 71.5 | $574K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 69.7 | $645K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 59.4 | $1.4M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 59.1 | $73K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 58.7 | $303K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 54.1 | $226K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 28.1 | $11K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 22.4 | $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 | 506 | 0 | $4.4M | 12th of 100 | 205th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 144 | 0 | $885K | 27th of 100 | 637th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 99 | 0 | $3.3M | 20th of 100 | 600th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 53 | 4 | $1.4M | 60th of 100 | 1531st of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 52 | 2 | $1.8M | 13th of 100 | 355th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 24 | 0 | $15M | 37th of 100 | 1048th of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 19 | 0 | – | 14th of 100 | 404th of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 17 | 0 | $1.4M | 17th of 100 | 260th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 1 | $416K | 30th of 100 | 1038th of 3,076 |
| Tornadoes | 9 | 0 | $5.1M | 76th of 100 | 2149th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 0 | $13K | 97th of 100 | 936th of 1,849 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | – | 22nd of 100 | 275th of 2,278 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Surry County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.