Alabama lightning risk
Jefferson County has the highest lightning risk in Alabama, scoring 99.5 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded lightning events across Alabama have increased 21% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson County | 99.5 | Very High | 3 |
| 2 | Baldwin County | 98.9 | Very High | 8 |
| 3 | Mobile County | 98.4 | Very High | 3 |
| 4 | Marion County | 97.9 | Very High | 1 |
| 5 | Montgomery County | 97 | Very High | 1 |
| 6 | Madison County | 96.9 | Very High | 8 |
| 7 | Escambia County | 96.5 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 8 | Covington County | 96.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 9 | Hale County | 93.9 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 10 | Houston County | 93.9 | Relatively High | 4 |
| 11 | Morgan County | 93 | Relatively High | 3 |
| 12 | Shelby County | 91.6 | Relatively High | 3 |
| 13 | Lee County | 90.7 | Relatively High | 3 |
| 14 | Lamar County | 89.2 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 15 | Jackson County | 88.9 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 16 | Marshall County | 88.6 | Relatively High | 5 |
| 17 | Tuscaloosa County | 88.1 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 18 | Dallas County | 87.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 19 | Lauderdale County | 86.7 | Relatively High | 6 |
| 20 | Coffee County | 85.5 | Relatively High | 6 |
| 21 | Colbert County | 85.4 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 22 | Cullman County | 85.4 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 23 | Butler County | 84.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 24 | Lawrence County | 84.2 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 25 | Russell County | 84.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 26 | Walker County | 83.3 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 27 | Elmore County | 82.9 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 28 | Monroe County | 81.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 29 | Autauga County | 81.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 30 | Calhoun County | 80.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 31 | Dale County | 80.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 32 | Blount County | 79.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 33 | Etowah County | 79 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 34 | Pickens County | 75 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 35 | Winston County | 74.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 36 | DeKalb County | 73.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 37 | St. Clair County | 70.8 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 38 | Geneva County | 70.6 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 39 | Marengo County | 70.5 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 40 | Franklin County | 69.7 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 41 | Talladega County | 69.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 42 | Clarke County | 68.1 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 43 | Greene County | 68.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 44 | Barbour County | 67.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 45 | Fayette County | 67.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 46 | Tallapoosa County | 67.4 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 47 | Pike County | 66.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 48 | Chilton County | 64.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 49 | Conecuh County | 62 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 50 | Sumter County | 60.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 51 | Macon County | 58.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 52 | Chambers County | 58.2 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 53 | Crenshaw County | 57.7 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 54 | Perry County | 57.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 55 | Henry County | 57.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 56 | Limestone County | 56.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 57 | Choctaw County | 54.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 58 | Washington County | 54 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 59 | Bibb County | 52.7 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 60 | Wilcox County | 51.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 61 | Lowndes County | 47.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 62 | Cherokee County | 46.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 63 | Bullock County | 40.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 64 | Clay County | 29.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 65 | Randolph County | 28.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 66 | Cleburne County | 24 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 67 | Coosa County | 22.5 | Very Low | 0 |
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.
Lightning risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Alabama:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest lightning risk county in Alabama?
Jefferson County, AL has the highest lightning risk in Alabama, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.5 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Alabama are rated Very High for lightning risk?
6 of 67 scored Alabama counties are rated "Very High" for lightning risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes lightning risk in Alabama?
Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.