Baldwin County, AL
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Baldwin County has experienced 38 federally declared disasters since 1970, most recently Hurricane Helene in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Baldwin County's highest-rated hazards are hurricane, lightning, and tornado, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 104% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Baldwin County has been designated in 38 declarations since 1970, covering 7 disaster types including hurricane (23), severe storm (8), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Hurricane | Hurricane Michael |
| 2018 | Hurricane | Hurricane Nate |
| 2018 | Hurricane | Hurricane Nate |
| 2017 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2014 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 38 total declarations since 1970.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 90.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 92.2 | 61 | 0 | $1.2M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively High | 85.8 | 10 | 0 | $708K |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 72.4 | 1 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | 92.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 92.8 | 25 | 0 | $155K |
| Hurricane | Very High | 99.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 63.2 | 38 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 85.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 59.3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 48.3 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 80.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Very High | 98.9 | 8 | 2 | $70K |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | 74.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 65.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Insufficient Data | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Baldwin County ranks in the 35th percentile (Low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 35th | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 34th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 29th | Low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 49th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 43rd | Low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 84th | Very High |
| Risk to homes | 82nd | Very High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 65.7% | — |
NOAA tracked 140 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 46 in 2016–20 vs 94 in 2021–25 (+104% — frequency increasing).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Baldwin County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Baldwin County, Alabama are hurricane, lightning, and tornado. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively High — higher risk than most US counties.
Has Baldwin County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Baldwin County has received 38 federal disaster declarations since 1970, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (23 declarations).
Has Baldwin County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Baldwin County include Hurricane Helene (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1970.
How does Baldwin County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Mobile County, AL has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively High) and George County, MS has the lowest (Relatively Low). Baldwin County is rated Relatively High overall.
How is Baldwin County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Baldwin County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Baldwin County's composite score of 97 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 97% of US counties.