Walker County, Alabama: hazard risk
FEMA rates Walker County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 82.6 of 100, higher than 82% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by tornado, lightning. Its storm record holds 733 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively High | 93.9 | $7.4M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 83.3 | $608K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 85.8 | $19M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.7 | $1.4M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 83.8 | $1.1M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 81.5 | $2.9M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 66.0 | $80K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 84.3 | $19K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 83.5 | $1.7M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 48.7 | $57K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 39.5 | $45K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 38.4 | $120K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 62.5 | $71K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 58.3 | $119K |
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 | 353 | 2 | $2.3M | 20th of 67 | 741st of 3,080 |
| Hail | 181 | 0 | $2.4M | 18th of 67 | 1094th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 59 | 27 | $362M | 31st of 67 | 584th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 39 | 0 | – | 48th of 67 | 956th of 3,063 |
| Floods | 37 | 0 | $1.4M | 29th of 67 | 1716th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 21 | 0 | $1.0M | 27th of 67 | 2609th of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 0 | $516K | 30th of 67 | 2262nd of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 2 | $1.9M | 20th of 67 | 1751st of 3,076 |
| Heat | 7 | 0 | – | 50th of 67 | 1549th of 3,076 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $1.3M | 34th of 67 | 902nd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 0 | $1.3M | 54th of 67 | 704th of 1,849 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 0 | – | 34th of 67 | 1752nd of 3,080 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 0 | – | 2nd of 67 | 317th 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 Walker County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.