Coffee County, AL
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Coffee County has experienced 30 federally declared disasters since 1975, most recently Hurricane Helene in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Coffee County's highest-rated hazards are hurricane, tornado, and lightning, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 30% 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. Coffee County has been designated in 30 declarations since 1975, covering 6 disaster types including hurricane (13), severe storm (11), biological (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2020 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 2017 | Hurricane | Hurricane Irma |
| 2016 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 30 total declarations since 1975.
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 | Very Low | 56.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 84.4 | 25 | 0 | $505K |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 58.7 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 64.7 | 5 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 90.3 | 2 | 0 | $75K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 92.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 29.2 | 15 | 0 | $5K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 70 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | 32.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | 56.9 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 60 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 85.5 | 6 | 0 | $431K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 55.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 71.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| 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
Coffee County ranks in the 68th percentile (Moderate) 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 | 68th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 65th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 95th | High |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 68th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 23rd | Very 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 | 44th | Relatively Moderate |
| Risk to homes | 42nd | Relatively Moderate |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 70.5% | — |
NOAA tracked 53 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 23 in 2016–20 vs 30 in 2021–25 (+30% — 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 Coffee County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Coffee County, Alabama are hurricane, tornado, and lightning. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Coffee County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Coffee County has received 30 federal disaster declarations since 1975, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (13 declarations).
Has Coffee County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Coffee County include Hurricane Helene (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1975.
How does Coffee County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Covington County, AL has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Crenshaw County, AL has the lowest (Very Low). Coffee County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Coffee County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Coffee 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. Coffee County's composite score of 83 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 83% of US counties.