White County, Arkansas: hazard risk
FEMA rates White County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 85.7 of 100, higher than 85% of rated U.S. counties); 3 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm, tornado, strong wind. Its storm record holds 1,047 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 | 98.1 | $2.6M |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 91.9 | $7.3M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 90.4 | $1.8M |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 96.0 | $16M |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 88.4 | $2.4M |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 80.7 | $18M |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 80.6 | $190K |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 74.2 | $511K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 69.7 | $449K |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | 79.4 | $335K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 71.0 | $509K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 48.0 | $767K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 54.6 | $103K |
| Landslide | Very Low | 50.3 | $1K |
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 | 359 | 1 | $4.5M | 34th of 75 | 1368th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 264 | 0 | $199K | 29th of 75 | 814th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 194 | 0 | $50M | 11th of 75 | 493rd of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 83 | 60 | $98M | 22nd of 75 | 790th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 67 | 1 | $26M | 58th of 75 | 2051st of 3,077 |
| Drought | 16 | 0 | – | 74th of 75 | 1794th of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 14 | 1 | $218K | 9th of 75 | 562nd of 3,080 |
| Heat | 11 | 1 | – | 67th of 75 | 1435th of 3,076 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 0 | – | 27th of 75 | 1044th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 0 | – | 49th of 75 | 2103rd of 3,076 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 0 | $565K | 55th of 75 | 2554th of 3,080 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 6 | 0 | $1.7M | 47th of 75 | 718th of 1,849 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 0 | – | 39th of 75 | 902nd 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 White County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.