Davidson County, NC
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Davidson County has experienced 29 federally declared disasters since 1977, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Davidson County's highest-rated hazards are ice storm, inland flooding, and tornado, with its top risk rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 57 storm events in the county over the past decade.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Davidson County has been designated in 29 declarations since 1977, covering 9 disaster types including hurricane (14), snowstorm (4), severe storm (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Helene |
| 2023 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2021 | Severe Storm | Tropical Storm Eta |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Isaias |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Michael |
| 2019 | Hurricane | Hurricane Dorian |
Showing the 10 most recent of 29 total declarations since 1977.
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 | 49.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 91.5 | 30 | 0 | $1.6M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 76.7 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 64.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 86.9 | 2 | 0 | $125K |
| Hurricane | Relatively Moderate | 84.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 76.7 | 24 | 0 | $5K |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 83.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 80.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very High | 95.4 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.9 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 69.1 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 58.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | 63.6 | 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
Davidson County ranks in the 55th 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 | 55th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 62nd | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 68th | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 56th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 28th | 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 | 38th | Relatively Low |
| Risk to homes | 35th | Relatively Low |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 77.8% | — |
NOAA tracked 57 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 30 in 2016–20 vs 27 in 2021–25 (-10% — relatively stable).
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 Davidson County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Davidson County, North Carolina are ice storm, inland flooding, and tornado. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Davidson County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Davidson County has received 29 federal disaster declarations since 1977, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (14 declarations).
Has Davidson County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Davidson County include Severe Winter Storm (2026), Tropical Storm Debby (2024), Hurricane Helene (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1977.
How does Davidson County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Guilford County, NC has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Davie County, NC has the lowest (Very Low). Davidson County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Davidson County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Davidson 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. Davidson County's composite score of 87 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 87% of US counties.