Alabama heat wave risk
Jefferson County has the highest heat wave risk in Alabama, scoring 97.6 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded heat wave events across Alabama have increased 624% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson County | 97.6 | Relatively High | 3 |
| 2 | Montgomery County | 96.5 | Relatively High | 5 |
| 3 | Mobile County | 96 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 4 | Tuscaloosa County | 95.6 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 5 | Madison County | 94.2 | Relatively Moderate | 55 |
| 6 | Baldwin County | 92.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 7 | Lee County | 92 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 8 | Shelby County | 88.6 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 9 | Morgan County | 88.1 | Relatively Moderate | 45 |
| 10 | Elmore County | 86.5 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 11 | Greene County | 86 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 12 | Autauga County | 85.9 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 13 | Walker County | 84.7 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 14 | Lauderdale County | 84.6 | Relatively Moderate | 71 |
| 15 | Tallapoosa County | 84.3 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 16 | Escambia County | 83.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 17 | Chambers County | 82.8 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 18 | Cullman County | 82.3 | Relatively Moderate | 38 |
| 19 | Dallas County | 82 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 20 | Talladega County | 81.8 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 21 | Lawrence County | 81.6 | Relatively Moderate | 51 |
| 22 | Colbert County | 81.1 | Relatively Moderate | 75 |
| 23 | Marshall County | 80.8 | Relatively Moderate | 17 |
| 24 | Houston County | 79.8 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 25 | Pickens County | 79.7 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 26 | Calhoun County | 78.4 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 27 | Etowah County | 77.6 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 28 | Russell County | 77.3 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 29 | Pike County | 76.3 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 30 | Lowndes County | 72.7 | Relatively Low | 6 |
| 31 | Limestone County | 72.3 | Relatively Low | 49 |
| 32 | St. Clair County | 71.7 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 33 | Marengo County | 71.2 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 34 | Franklin County | 70.3 | Relatively Low | 54 |
| 35 | Covington County | 69.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 36 | Barbour County | 69.5 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 37 | Blount County | 69.5 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 38 | Chilton County | 68.1 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 39 | Sumter County | 67.9 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 40 | Fayette County | 67.7 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 41 | Marion County | 67.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 42 | Dale County | 67 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 43 | Clarke County | 66.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 44 | Coffee County | 64.7 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 45 | DeKalb County | 64 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 46 | Winston County | 62.7 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 47 | Bibb County | 59.7 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 48 | Macon County | 59.7 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 49 | Monroe County | 59.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 50 | Hale County | 58.9 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 51 | Butler County | 56.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 52 | Jackson County | 53.7 | Relatively Low | 15 |
| 53 | Geneva County | 52.9 | Relatively Low | 6 |
| 54 | Washington County | 52.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 55 | Lamar County | 50.3 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 56 | Bullock County | 50 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 57 | Conecuh County | 49.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 58 | Perry County | 48.8 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 59 | Crenshaw County | 48.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 60 | Choctaw County | 46 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 61 | Randolph County | 45.4 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 62 | Wilcox County | 44.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 63 | Cherokee County | 44.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 64 | Henry County | 43.9 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 65 | Clay County | 39.9 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 66 | Coosa County | 39.3 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 67 | Cleburne County | 35.3 | Very Low | 1 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Heat Wave risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Alabama:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest heat wave risk county in Alabama?
Jefferson County, AL has the highest heat wave risk in Alabama, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 97.6 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes heat wave risk in Alabama?
Heat is consistently the leading cause of weather-related mortality in the US, yet it remains underrepresented in federal disaster declarations relative to its actual impact. High scores reflect a combination of extreme temperature exposure, population vulnerability (elderly, outdoor workers), and limited access to cooling infrastructure.