Watauga County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Watauga County's overall risk Relatively Low (score 71.9 of 100, higher than 71% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by landslide. Its storm record holds 679 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively High | 98.8 | $1.0M |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 82.1 | $416K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 81.9 | $3.5M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 80.3 | $17M |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 76.2 | $630K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 63.3 | $324K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 68.9 | $634K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 61.9 | $214K |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 60.1 | $1.5M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 55.8 | $67K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 45.5 | $410K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 36.7 | $135K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 40.9 | $24K |
| Heat Wave | 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High wind and dust storms | 163 | 0 | $28M | 1st of 100 | 19th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 150 | 2 | $265M | 2nd of 100 | 71st of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 120 | 0 | $730K | 17th of 100 | 199th of 3,077 |
| Hail | 75 | 0 | $738K | 29th of 100 | 658th of 3,080 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 68 | 0 | $380K | 88th of 100 | 1867th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 40 | 0 | – | 7th of 100 | 97th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 31 | 0 | $15M | 9th of 100 | 299th of 3,063 |
| Extreme cold | 10 | 0 | $43K | 21st of 100 | 788th of 3,076 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 7 | 2 | $652K | 1st of 100 | 38th of 2,278 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $1.3M | 27th of 100 | 324th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 0 | $143K | 84th of 100 | 2312th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 0 | $6K | 89th of 100 | 817th of 1,849 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 0 | – | 10th of 100 | 682nd 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 Watauga County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.