Wilkes County, North Carolina: hazard risk
FEMA rates Wilkes County's overall risk Relatively Moderate (score 82.6 of 100, higher than 82% of rated U.S. counties); 1 of its 14 hazards are rated Relatively High or Very High, led by ice storm. Its storm record holds 794 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 | Relatively High | 93.1 | $868K |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 89.7 | $25M |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 78.5 | $831K |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 73.4 | $1.7M |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 72.5 | $1.9M |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 69.3 | $328K |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 75.8 | $7K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 75.4 | $710K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 73.9 | $716K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 63.8 | $246K |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 53.5 | $207K |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 45.6 | $38K |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 52.7 | $37K |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 28.0 | $81K |
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 | 382 | 2 | $2.4M | 50th of 100 | 877th of 3,080 |
| Hail | 139 | 0 | $103K | 54th of 100 | 1240th of 3,080 |
| Floods | 85 | 0 | $9.2M | 51st of 100 | 1160th of 3,080 |
| Winter storms | 53 | 1 | $1.2M | 81st of 100 | 1951st of 3,077 |
| High wind and dust storms | 45 | 1 | $2.0M | 29th of 100 | 711th of 3,080 |
| Drought | 29 | 0 | $12M | 39th of 100 | 1163rd of 3,063 |
| Lightning | 18 | 0 | $1.1M | 32nd of 100 | 369th of 3,080 |
| Heavy rain | 17 | 0 | – | 20th of 100 | 577th of 3,080 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 0 | $5.9M | 80th of 100 | 2240th of 3,080 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 0 | $2.6M | 41st of 100 | 1530th of 3,076 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 0 | $2K | 16th of 100 | 231st of 2,278 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 0 | $6K | 99th of 100 | 982nd of 1,849 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026-06-30; damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
The full Wilkes County record: every hazard by year and month, the deadliest events and FEMA's declarations.