Walton County, FL
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Walton County has experienced 42 federally declared disasters since 1975, most recently Tropical Storm Debby in 2024. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Walton County's highest-rated hazards are hurricane, lightning, and tornado, with its top risk rated "Relatively High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded storm events have increased 18% 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. Walton County has been designated in 42 declarations since 1975, covering 6 disaster types including hurricane (22), severe storm (6), fire (5).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Debby |
| 2024 | Hurricane | Hurricane Helene |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm | Hurricane Debby |
| 2022 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Ian |
| 2022 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ian |
| 2021 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Fred |
| 2020 | Fire | Mussett Bayou Fire |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
| 2020 | Hurricane | Hurricane Sally |
Showing the 10 most recent of 42 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 | Relatively Low | 75.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 68.3 | 53 | 1 | $11.3M |
| Coastal Flooding | Relatively Moderate | 62.2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 46.4 | — | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | 69.4 | 9 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 85.6 | 24 | 0 | $695K |
| Hurricane | Relatively High | 97.4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 15.5 | 14 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | 39.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | 22.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | 18.2 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | 52.3 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively High | 95.1 | 8 | 0 | $304K |
| Drought | Very Low | 23 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Very Low | 45.4 | 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
Walton County ranks in the 63rd 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 | 63rd | Moderate |
| Socioeconomic status | 55th | Moderate |
| Household characteristics | 52nd | Moderate |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 47th | Low |
| Housing type & transportation | 77th | High |
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 | 70th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 70th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 56.7% | — |
NOAA tracked 107 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 49 in 2016–20 vs 58 in 2021–25 (+18% — 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 Walton County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Walton County, Florida are hurricane, lightning, and tornado. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Moderate — near the middle compared to other US counties.
Has Walton County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Walton County has received 42 federal disaster declarations since 1975, including declarations in 2024. The most common disaster type on record is hurricane (22 declarations).
Has Walton County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Walton County include Tropical Storm Helene (2024), Tropical Storm Debby (2024), Hurricane Helene (2024), Hurricane Debby (2024). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1975.
How does Walton County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Bay County, FL has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Moderate) and Holmes County, FL has the lowest (Relatively Low). Walton County is rated Relatively Moderate overall.
How is Walton County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Walton 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. Walton County's composite score of 89 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 89% of US counties.