Washington County, Arkansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates Washington County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 92.3 of 100, higher than 92% of rated U.S. counties); 6 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, winter weather, heat wave. Its storm record holds 1,163 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 | 99.8 | $9.4M |
| Winter Weather | Very High | 96.9 | $1.0M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively High | 99.4 | $47M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 95.4 | $14M |
| Hail | Relatively High | 94.1 | $2.8M |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 92.9 | $1.6M |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 94.1 | $3.0M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 90.1 | $42M |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 83.3 | $4.9M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 72.7 | $1.1M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 84.1 | $2.7M |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 83.7 | $27K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 54.4 | $124K |
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 433 | 0 | $101M | 10th of 75 | 291st of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 408 | 2 | $5.3M | 16th of 75 | 875th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 143 | 5 | $14M | 26th of 75 | 859th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 54 | 2 | $64M | 65th of 75 | 2157th of 3,077 |
| Tornadoes | 53 | 5 | $67M | 27th of 75 | 972nd of 3,080 |
| Drought | 39 | 0 | – | 20th of 75 | 1110th of 3,063 |
| Heat | 12 | 3 | – | 52nd of 75 | 1274th of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 10 | 0 | $229K | 36th of 75 | 2301st of 3,080 |
| Lightning | 8 | 1 | $776K | 29th of 75 | 918th of 3,080 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 1 | $62K | 38th of 75 | 858th of 2,972 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 0 | – | 75th of 75 | 2771st of 3,076 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Washington County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.