Tornado Risk in Alaska

All Alaska counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index tornado score

Tornado risk — violently rotating columns of air capable of catastrophic local damage — is rated for 29 of 30 Alaska counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Bethel Census Area carries the state's highest tornado score at 1.4, with $783 in expected annual tornado losses.

No Alaska county reaches the High band for tornado, and expected annual losses from tornado total roughly $893 statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.

County Rankings — Tornado

#CountyTornado ScoreRatingAnn. Freq.Ann. Loss
1 Bethel Census Area
1.4
Very Low 0.05 / yr $783
2 Aleutians East Borough
1.0
Very Low 0.01 / yr $50
3 Matanuska-Susitna Borough
0.9
Very Low 0.00 / yr $7
4 Kusilvak Census Area
0.9
Very Low 0.01 / yr $36
5 Kenai Peninsula Borough
0.8
Very Low 0.00 / yr $3
6 Southeast Fairbanks Census Area
0.8
Very Low 0.00 / yr $1
7 Lake and Peninsula Borough
0.8
Very Low 0.00 / yr $3
8 Fairbanks North Star Borough
0.7
Very Low 0.00 / yr $2
9 Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area
0.7
Very Low 0.00 / yr $1
10 North Slope Borough
0.7
Very Low 0.00 / yr $1
11 Aleutians West Census Area
0.6
Very Low 0.00 / yr $1
12 Dillingham Census Area
0.6
Very Low 0.00 / yr $1
13 Juneau City and Borough
0.6
Very Low 0.00 / yr $1
14 Kodiak Island Borough
0.5
Very Low 0.00 / yr $1
15 Northwest Arctic Borough
0.5
Very Low 0.00 / yr $0
16 Nome Census Area
0.5
Very Low 0.00 / yr $0
17 Anchorage Municipality
0.4
Very Low 0.00 / yr $1
18 Copper River Census Area
0.4
Very Low 0.00 / yr $0
19 Hoonah-Angoon Census Area
0.4
Very Low 0.00 / yr $0
20 Denali Borough
0.3
Very Low 0.00 / yr $1
21 Petersburg Borough
0.3
Very Low 0.00 / yr $0
22 Bristol Bay Borough
0.3
Very Low 0.00 / yr $0
23 Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area
0.3
Very Low 0.00 / yr $0
24 Haines Borough
0.2
Very Low 0.00 / yr $0
25 Yakutat City and Borough
0.2
Very Low 0.00 / yr $0
26 Ketchikan Gateway Borough
0.2
Very Low 0.00 / yr $0
27 Sitka City and Borough
0.1
Very Low 0.00 / yr $0
28 Chugach Census Area
0.1
Very Low 0.00 / yr $0
29 Wrangell City and Borough
0.1
Very Low 0.00 / yr $0

29 Alaska counties with measurable tornado risk. See the national tornado ranking or all Alaska counties by overall risk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Alaska county has the highest tornado risk?

Bethel Census Area has the highest FEMA tornado risk score in Alaska at 1.4 (Very Low), with $783 in expected annual losses and about 0.05 events per year.

How many Alaska counties face significant tornado risk?

29 Alaska counties record measurable tornado risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 0 of them are rated High or Very High.

Other Hazards in Alaska

Avalanche Coastal Flood Cold Wave Earthquake Hail Ice Storm Riverine Flood Landslide Lightning Strong Wind Tsunami Volcanic Activity Wildfire Winter Weather