Alabama strong wind risk
Jefferson County has the highest strong wind risk in Alabama, scoring 97.6 out of 100 — rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson County | 97.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 2 | Madison County | 97.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 3 | Marshall County | 97.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 4 | Colbert County | 96.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 5 | Montgomery County | 95.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 6 | Etowah County | 94.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 7 | Tuscaloosa County | 94.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 8 | Lauderdale County | 94.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 9 | Cullman County | 93.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 10 | DeKalb County | 90.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 11 | Morgan County | 90.5 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 12 | Jackson County | 88 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 13 | Houston County | 87.3 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 14 | Baldwin County | 85.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 15 | Calhoun County | 84.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 16 | Walker County | 83.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 17 | Marengo County | 83 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 18 | Mobile County | 80.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 19 | Talladega County | 80.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 20 | Blount County | 78.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 21 | Shelby County | 78.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 22 | Lee County | 78.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 23 | Escambia County | 74.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 24 | St. Clair County | 73.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 25 | Butler County | 72.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 26 | Fayette County | 72.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 27 | Coffee County | 70 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 28 | Lawrence County | 69.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 29 | Dallas County | 68.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 30 | Lowndes County | 67.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 31 | Elmore County | 65.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 32 | Winston County | 63.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 33 | Washington County | 63.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 34 | Marion County | 63 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 35 | Sumter County | 55.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 36 | Limestone County | 54.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 37 | Bullock County | 52.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 38 | Autauga County | 51.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 39 | Hale County | 51.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 40 | Perry County | 51 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 41 | Greene County | 50.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 42 | Pike County | 50.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 43 | Franklin County | 49.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 44 | Pickens County | 47 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 45 | Cherokee County | 44.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 46 | Dale County | 42.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 47 | Covington County | 42 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 48 | Tallapoosa County | 40.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 49 | Lamar County | 37.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 50 | Crenshaw County | 37.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 51 | Geneva County | 35.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 52 | Conecuh County | 34.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 53 | Monroe County | 32.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 54 | Chambers County | 31.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 55 | Barbour County | 29.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 56 | Choctaw County | 29.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 57 | Clarke County | 29.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 58 | Chilton County | 28.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 59 | Russell County | 25.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 60 | Randolph County | 25.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 61 | Macon County | 25.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 62 | Wilcox County | 24.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 63 | Cleburne County | 24 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 64 | Henry County | 23.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 65 | Coosa County | 22.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 66 | Clay County | 21.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 67 | Bibb County | 16.3 | 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.
Strong Wind risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Alabama:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest strong wind risk county in Alabama?
Jefferson County, AL has the highest strong wind risk in Alabama, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 97.6 out of 100 (rated "Relatively High").
What causes strong wind risk in Alabama?
Strong wind risk covers non-convective, non-tropical sustained high winds — including derechos and general high-wind events, but excluding tornado and hurricane winds. High scores appear in mountain passes, coastal headlands, and open plains where topography amplifies wind speeds. Damage concentrates on utility infrastructure, trees, and lightweight structures.