Lightning Risk in Arkansas
All Arkansas counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index lightning score
Lightning risk — electrical discharges from storms that ignite fires and cause casualties — is rated for 75 of 75 Arkansas counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Pulaski County carries the state's highest lightning score at 96.8, with $2M in expected annual lightning losses.
14 Arkansas counties are rated High or Very High for lightning, and expected annual losses from lightning total roughly $30M 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 | Pulaski County | Very High | 61.58 / yr | $2M | |
| 2 | Benton County | High | 57.61 / yr | $2M | |
| 3 | Mississippi County | High | 58.12 / yr | $1M | |
| 4 | Cleburne County | High | 59.38 / yr | $1M | |
| 5 | Sebastian County | High | 61.37 / yr | $1M | |
| 6 | Washington County | High | 58.42 / yr | $2M | |
| 7 | Clark County | High | 64.74 / yr | $1M | |
| 8 | Garland County | High | 65.07 / yr | $833K | |
| 9 | Saline County | High | 63.82 / yr | $1M | |
| 10 | Jefferson County | High | 60.01 / yr | $652K | |
| 11 | Hot Spring County | High | 64.17 / yr | $717K | |
| 12 | Yell County | High | 62.19 / yr | $700K | |
| 13 | Newton County | High | 58.18 / yr | $540K | |
| 14 | Craighead County | High | 57.35 / yr | $754K | |
| 15 | Faulkner County | Medium | 60.86 / yr | $966K | |
| 16 | Baxter County | Medium | 56.74 / yr | $512K | |
| 17 | Little River County | Medium | 61.95 / yr | $499K | |
| 18 | Miller County | Medium | 62.20 / yr | $512K | |
| 19 | Clay County | Medium | 57.73 / yr | $498K | |
| 20 | Boone County | Medium | 58.25 / yr | $663K | |
| 21 | Crawford County | Medium | 60.61 / yr | $655K | |
| 22 | Greene County | Medium | 57.42 / yr | $502K | |
| 23 | Johnson County | Medium | 60.39 / yr | $444K | |
| 24 | Carroll County | Medium | 58.17 / yr | $410K | |
| 25 | White County | Medium | 58.95 / yr | $511K | |
| 26 | Pope County | Medium | 60.50 / yr | $520K | |
| 27 | Ouachita County | Medium | 64.71 / yr | $309K | |
| 28 | Sevier County | Medium | 64.63 / yr | $272K | |
| 29 | Lonoke County | Medium | 59.43 / yr | $537K | |
| 30 | Logan County | Medium | 61.71 / yr | $355K | |
| 31 | Hempstead County | Medium | 63.25 / yr | $282K | |
| 32 | Union County | Medium | 64.88 / yr | $292K | |
| 33 | Conway County | Medium | 61.10 / yr | $282K | |
| 34 | Franklin County | Medium | 60.88 / yr | $240K | |
| 35 | Crittenden County | Medium | 59.64 / yr | $291K | |
| 36 | Marion County | Medium | 57.90 / yr | $225K | |
| 37 | Independence County | Medium | 58.12 / yr | $296K | |
| 38 | Columbia County | Medium | 64.57 / yr | $210K | |
| 39 | Polk County | Medium | 65.20 / yr | $215K | |
| 40 | Howard County | Low | 65.00 / yr | $185K | |
| 41 | Sharp County | Low | 57.49 / yr | $163K | |
| 42 | Izard County | Low | 57.21 / yr | $154K | |
| 43 | Van Buren County | Low | 59.96 / yr | $157K | |
| 44 | Jackson County | Low | 57.53 / yr | $161K | |
| 45 | Stone County | Low | 58.44 / yr | $157K | |
| 46 | Randolph County | Low | 58.02 / yr | $186K | |
| 47 | Lawrence County | Low | 57.02 / yr | $165K | |
| 48 | Nevada County | Low | 63.80 / yr | $129K | |
| 49 | Fulton County | Low | 56.51 / yr | $125K | |
| 50 | St. Francis County | Low | 59.25 / yr | $121K | |
| 51 | Pike County | Low | 64.65 / yr | $156K | |
| 52 | Montgomery County | Low | 64.95 / yr | $110K | |
| 53 | Poinsett County | Low | 57.56 / yr | $146K | |
| 54 | Searcy County | Low | 58.55 / yr | $121K | |
| 55 | Madison County | Low | 58.13 / yr | $141K | |
| 56 | Phillips County | Low | 60.29 / yr | $99K | |
| 57 | Ashley County | Low | 64.40 / yr | $99K | |
| 58 | Bradley County | Low | 64.58 / yr | $82K | |
| 59 | Dallas County | Low | 64.37 / yr | $89K | |
| 60 | Perry County | Low | 61.97 / yr | $102K | |
| 61 | Drew County | Low | 63.34 / yr | $79K | |
| 62 | Scott County | Low | 62.99 / yr | $103K | |
| 63 | Cross County | Low | 58.21 / yr | $92K | |
| 64 | Arkansas County | Low | 59.75 / yr | $74K | |
| 65 | Grant County | Low | 63.25 / yr | $104K | |
| 66 | Lafayette County | Low | 63.18 / yr | $64K | |
| 67 | Prairie County | Low | 58.13 / yr | $66K | |
| 68 | Cleveland County | Low | 63.12 / yr | $59K | |
| 69 | Chicot County | Low | 63.39 / yr | $58K | |
| 70 | Monroe County | Low | 58.68 / yr | $55K | |
| 71 | Woodruff County | Low | 57.86 / yr | $54K | |
| 72 | Lincoln County | Very Low | 61.05 / yr | $58K | |
| 73 | Lee County | Very Low | 59.52 / yr | $45K | |
| 74 | Desha County | Very Low | 61.48 / yr | $40K | |
| 75 | Calhoun County | Very Low | 64.61 / yr | $68K |
75 Arkansas counties with measurable lightning risk. See the national lightning ranking or all Arkansas counties by overall risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Arkansas county has the highest lightning risk?
Pulaski County has the highest FEMA lightning risk score in Arkansas at 96.8 (Very High), with $2M in expected annual losses and about 61.58 events per year.
How many Arkansas counties face significant lightning risk?
75 Arkansas counties record measurable lightning risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 14 of them are rated High or Very High.