Lightning Risk in Alabama
All Alabama counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index lightning score
Lightning risk — electrical discharges from storms that ignite fires and cause casualties — is rated for 67 of 67 Alabama counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Jefferson County carries the state's highest lightning score at 99.5, with $5M in expected annual lightning losses.
27 Alabama counties are rated High or Very High for lightning, and expected annual losses from lightning total roughly $51M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Lightning
| # | County | Lightning Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jefferson County | Very High | 68.97 / yr | $5M | |
| 2 | Baldwin County | Very High | 84.29 / yr | $4M | |
| 3 | Mobile County | Very High | 84.83 / yr | $3M | |
| 4 | Marion County | Very High | 64.98 / yr | $2M | |
| 5 | Montgomery County | Very High | 69.09 / yr | $2M | |
| 6 | Madison County | Very High | 61.34 / yr | $3M | |
| 7 | Escambia County | High | 79.59 / yr | $1M | |
| 8 | Covington County | High | 75.21 / yr | $1M | |
| 9 | Houston County | High | 74.68 / yr | $1M | |
| 10 | Hale County | High | 70.46 / yr | $1M | |
| 11 | Morgan County | High | 62.27 / yr | $1M | |
| 12 | Shelby County | High | 70.53 / yr | $2M | |
| 13 | Lee County | High | 66.07 / yr | $1M | |
| 14 | Lamar County | High | 66.49 / yr | $846K | |
| 15 | Jackson County | High | 61.34 / yr | $810K | |
| 16 | Marshall County | High | 60.94 / yr | $828K | |
| 17 | Tuscaloosa County | High | 70.12 / yr | $968K | |
| 18 | Dallas County | High | 69.77 / yr | $653K | |
| 19 | Lauderdale County | High | 61.58 / yr | $952K | |
| 20 | Coffee County | High | 72.83 / yr | $816K | |
| 21 | Cullman County | High | 63.69 / yr | $712K | |
| 22 | Colbert County | High | 62.22 / yr | $763K | |
| 23 | Butler County | High | 71.94 / yr | $596K | |
| 24 | Lawrence County | High | 62.38 / yr | $650K | |
| 25 | Russell County | High | 67.45 / yr | $725K | |
| 26 | Walker County | High | 67.77 / yr | $608K | |
| 27 | Elmore County | High | 66.73 / yr | $779K | |
| 28 | Monroe County | Medium | 76.68 / yr | $524K | |
| 29 | Autauga County | Medium | 68.50 / yr | $791K | |
| 30 | Calhoun County | Medium | 64.15 / yr | $528K | |
| 31 | Dale County | Medium | 71.19 / yr | $506K | |
| 32 | Blount County | Medium | 63.77 / yr | $557K | |
| 33 | Etowah County | Medium | 63.24 / yr | $517K | |
| 34 | Pickens County | Medium | 67.90 / yr | $378K | |
| 35 | Winston County | Medium | 65.18 / yr | $351K | |
| 36 | DeKalb County | Medium | 61.22 / yr | $408K | |
| 37 | St. Clair County | Medium | 65.61 / yr | $540K | |
| 38 | Geneva County | Medium | 75.65 / yr | $340K | |
| 39 | Marengo County | Medium | 70.46 / yr | $309K | |
| 40 | Franklin County | Medium | 62.83 / yr | $319K | |
| 41 | Talladega County | Medium | 67.19 / yr | $333K | |
| 42 | Clarke County | Medium | 75.84 / yr | $349K | |
| 43 | Greene County | Medium | 69.39 / yr | $270K | |
| 44 | Barbour County | Medium | 69.38 / yr | $266K | |
| 45 | Fayette County | Medium | 68.30 / yr | $327K | |
| 46 | Tallapoosa County | Medium | 65.86 / yr | $325K | |
| 47 | Pike County | Medium | 70.35 / yr | $330K | |
| 48 | Chilton County | Medium | 69.51 / yr | $359K | |
| 49 | Conecuh County | Medium | 76.49 / yr | $222K | |
| 50 | Sumter County | Medium | 69.49 / yr | $193K | |
| 51 | Macon County | Medium | 67.17 / yr | $210K | |
| 52 | Chambers County | Medium | 63.61 / yr | $228K | |
| 53 | Crenshaw County | Medium | 71.44 / yr | $202K | |
| 54 | Perry County | Medium | 70.51 / yr | $181K | |
| 55 | Henry County | Medium | 72.05 / yr | $196K | |
| 56 | Limestone County | Low | 61.05 / yr | $331K | |
| 57 | Choctaw County | Low | 72.38 / yr | $195K | |
| 58 | Washington County | Low | 79.81 / yr | $201K | |
| 59 | Bibb County | Low | 71.06 / yr | $191K | |
| 60 | Wilcox County | Low | 71.55 / yr | $144K | |
| 61 | Lowndes County | Low | 69.90 / yr | $124K | |
| 62 | Cherokee County | Low | 62.43 / yr | $142K | |
| 63 | Bullock County | Low | 68.50 / yr | $97K | |
| 64 | Clay County | Low | 65.55 / yr | $71K | |
| 65 | Randolph County | Low | 61.74 / yr | $82K | |
| 66 | Cleburne County | Low | 62.47 / yr | $56K | |
| 67 | Coosa County | Very Low | 68.21 / yr | $64K |
67 Alabama counties with measurable lightning risk. See the national lightning ranking or all Alabama counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Alabama county has the highest lightning risk?
Jefferson County has the highest FEMA lightning risk score in Alabama at 99.5 (Very High), with $5M in expected annual losses and about 68.97 events per year.
How many Alabama counties face significant lightning risk?
67 Alabama counties record measurable lightning risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 27 of them are rated High or Very High.