Hamilton County, TN
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Hamilton County has experienced 25 federally declared disasters since 1973, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Hamilton County's highest-rated hazards are tornado, strong wind, and earthquake, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 176% 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. Hamilton County has been designated in 25 declarations since 1973, covering 8 disaster types including severe storm (11), flood (5), fire (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2026 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2024 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2023 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornado |
| 2020 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2017 | Fire | Smith Mountain Fire Complex |
Showing the 10 most recent of 25 total declarations since 1973.
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 Low | 70.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively High | 94.9 | 39 | 2 | $6.3M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 95.7 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 75.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively High | 98.6 | 2 | 2 | — |
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 62.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 82.6 | 19 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | 97.5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | 93.8 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | 85.8 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 84.5 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 94.8 | 2 | 0 | $255K |
| Drought | Relatively Low | 36.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 95.2 | 2 | 0 | $2.5M |
| 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
Hamilton County ranks in the 56th 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 | 56th | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 48th | Low |
| Household characteristics | 55th | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 66th | Moderate |
| Housing type & transportation | 58th | Moderate |
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 | 73rd | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 68th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 53.5% | — |
NOAA tracked 64 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 17 in 2016–20 vs 47 in 2021–25 (+176% — 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 Hamilton County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Hamilton County, Tennessee are tornado, strong wind, and earthquake. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Hamilton County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Hamilton County has received 25 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (11 declarations).
Has Hamilton County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Hamilton County include Severe Winter Storm (2026), Severe Winter Storm (2026), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2025), Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1973.
How does Hamilton County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Whitfield County, GA has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Dade County, GA has the lowest (Very Low). Hamilton County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Hamilton County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Hamilton 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. Hamilton County's composite score of 93 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 93% of US counties.