Drought Risk in Arkansas
All Arkansas counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index drought score
Drought risk — extended dry periods that stress water supplies and agriculture — is rated for 60 of 75 Arkansas counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Mississippi County carries the state's highest drought score at 98.6, with $4M in expected annual drought losses.
4 Arkansas counties are rated High or Very High for drought, and expected annual losses from drought total roughly $27M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.
County Rankings — Drought
| # | County | Drought Score | Rating | Ann. Freq. | Ann. Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi County | High | 12.88 / yr | $4M | |
| 2 | Clay County | High | 9.67 / yr | $2M | |
| 3 | Craighead County | High | 8.95 / yr | $2M | |
| 4 | Lincoln County | High | 8.25 / yr | $1M | |
| 5 | Greene County | Medium | 9.70 / yr | $1M | |
| 6 | Poinsett County | Medium | 8.63 / yr | $1M | |
| 7 | Jackson County | Medium | 6.34 / yr | $956K | |
| 8 | Chicot County | Medium | 16.58 / yr | $951K | |
| 9 | Woodruff County | Medium | 8.82 / yr | $879K | |
| 10 | Lafayette County | Medium | 27.02 / yr | $869K | |
| 11 | Lawrence County | Medium | 5.00 / yr | $876K | |
| 12 | Crittenden County | Medium | 7.94 / yr | $915K | |
| 13 | St. Francis County | Medium | 8.02 / yr | $625K | |
| 14 | Cross County | Medium | 8.10 / yr | $881K | |
| 15 | Drew County | Medium | 9.63 / yr | $684K | |
| 16 | Ashley County | Medium | 17.54 / yr | $651K | |
| 17 | Miller County | Medium | 28.50 / yr | $641K | |
| 18 | Little River County | Medium | 25.83 / yr | $591K | |
| 19 | Phillips County | Medium | 8.76 / yr | $424K | |
| 20 | Desha County | Medium | 11.61 / yr | $337K | |
| 21 | White County | Medium | 7.46 / yr | $449K | |
| 22 | Crawford County | Medium | 14.51 / yr | $490K | |
| 23 | Arkansas County | Medium | 8.82 / yr | $293K | |
| 24 | Randolph County | Medium | 7.30 / yr | $309K | |
| 25 | Jefferson County | Low | 8.08 / yr | $224K | |
| 26 | Conway County | Low | 10.11 / yr | $221K | |
| 27 | Lee County | Low | 8.67 / yr | $175K | |
| 28 | Hempstead County | Low | 23.70 / yr | $209K | |
| 29 | Logan County | Low | 14.58 / yr | $213K | |
| 30 | Independence County | Low | 7.00 / yr | $227K | |
| 31 | Franklin County | Low | 15.28 / yr | $152K | |
| 32 | Columbia County | Low | 24.76 / yr | $144K | |
| 33 | Bradley County | Low | 17.06 / yr | $117K | |
| 34 | Perry County | Low | 9.14 / yr | $161K | |
| 35 | Pope County | Low | 9.58 / yr | $168K | |
| 36 | Monroe County | Low | 8.69 / yr | $99K | |
| 37 | Faulkner County | Low | 8.75 / yr | $158K | |
| 38 | Clark County | Low | 18.90 / yr | $99K | |
| 39 | Sevier County | Low | 26.30 / yr | $66K | |
| 40 | Johnson County | Low | 11.68 / yr | $82K | |
| 41 | Benton County | Low | 10.66 / yr | $129K | |
| 42 | Prairie County | Low | 10.98 / yr | $69K | |
| 43 | Yell County | Low | 13.74 / yr | $70K | |
| 44 | Nevada County | Low | 17.15 / yr | $45K | |
| 45 | Lonoke County | Low | 10.68 / yr | $79K | |
| 46 | Pike County | Low | 25.49 / yr | $44K | |
| 47 | Sebastian County | Low | 16.78 / yr | $53K | |
| 48 | Cleburne County | Low | 7.76 / yr | $27K | |
| 49 | Izard County | Low | 12.88 / yr | $20K | |
| 50 | Union County | Low | 24.65 / yr | $22K | |
| 51 | Stone County | Low | 12.41 / yr | $19K | |
| 52 | Sharp County | Very Low | 6.66 / yr | $16K | |
| 53 | Hot Spring County | Very Low | 10.81 / yr | $11K | |
| 54 | Saline County | Very Low | 9.66 / yr | $15K | |
| 55 | Pulaski County | Very Low | 9.78 / yr | $9K | |
| 56 | Dallas County | Very Low | 9.80 / yr | $7K | |
| 57 | Ouachita County | Very Low | 14.12 / yr | $5K | |
| 58 | Calhoun County | Very Low | 19.81 / yr | $5K | |
| 59 | Cleveland County | Very Low | 8.47 / yr | $2K | |
| 60 | Grant County | Very Low | 8.16 / yr | $3K |
60 Arkansas counties with measurable drought risk. See the national drought ranking or all Arkansas counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Arkansas county has the highest drought risk?
Mississippi County has the highest FEMA drought risk score in Arkansas at 98.6 (High), with $4M in expected annual losses and about 12.88 events per year.
How many Arkansas counties face significant drought risk?
60 Arkansas counties record measurable drought risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 4 of them are rated High or Very High.