Walton County, Florida: hazard risk
FEMA rates Walton County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 88.6 of 100, higher than 88% of rated U.S. counties); 2 of its 15 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by hurricane, lightning. Its storm record holds 829 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 97.4 | $47M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 95.1 | $1.7M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 85.6 | $5.0M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 62.2 | $605K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 75.7 | $255K |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 69.4 | $808K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | 68.3 | $11M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 52.3 | $947K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 39.7 | $377K |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 46.4 | $209K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 45.4 | $897 |
| Drought | Very Low | 23.0 | $7K |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 22.9 | $19K |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 18.2 | $13K |
| Hail | Very Low | 15.5 | $48K |
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 | 324 | 0 | $2.3M | 36th of 67 | 1452nd of 3,080 |
| Floods | 145 | 1 | $124M | 27th of 67 | 1637th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 71 | 0 | $18M | 34th of 67 | 450th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 66 | 0 | – | 18th of 67 | 1283rd of 3,063 |
| Hail | 62 | 0 | – | 45th of 67 | 2482nd of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 48 | 0 | $180M | 42nd of 67 | 267th of 1,849 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 32 | 38 | $76K | 12th of 67 | 60th of 2,080 |
| Lightning | 21 | 3 | $2.7M | 34th of 67 | 448th of 3,080 |
| Heat | 19 | 0 | – | 14th of 67 | 1499th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 14 | 0 | – | 47th of 67 | 1152nd of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 7 | 0 | $1.2M | 25th of 67 | 2996th of 3,077 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 0 | $101K | 45th of 67 | 2555th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 0 | $7K | 45th of 67 | 2878th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | $531K | 45th of 67 | 903rd 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 Walton County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.