Van Buren County, Arkansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Van Buren County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 50.6 of 100, higher than 50% 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 594 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 | 95.9 | $1.2M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 82.7 | $2.7M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 60.7 | $56K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 59.4 | $436K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 77.2 | $7K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 76.9 | $777K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 75.2 | $160K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 61.6 | $374K |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 52.9 | $157K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 47.9 | $3.8M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 31.3 | $271K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 36.3 | $14K |
| Hail | Very Low | 29.0 | $69K |
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 190 | 0 | $2.2M | 42nd of 75 | 1471st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 167 | 0 | – | 25th of 75 | 736th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 98 | 0 | $37M | 13th of 75 | 1249th of 3,077 |
| Floods | 42 | 0 | $7.0M | 67th of 75 | 1698th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 35 | 8 | $148M | 33rd of 75 | 1143rd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 15 | 0 | – | 63rd of 75 | 1603rd of 3,063 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 0 | – | 19th of 75 | 881st of 3,080 |
| Heat | 8 | 0 | – | 65th of 75 | 1393rd of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 0 | $483K | 40th of 75 | 2350th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 0 | – | 39th of 75 | 1919th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $30K | 24th of 75 | 833rd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 5 | 0 | $2.6M | 24th of 75 | 596th of 1,849 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 0 | $394K | 21st of 75 | 455th 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 Van Buren County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.