Natural disaster risk in Rutherford County, North Carolina
North Carolina · population 64,379 · FIPS 37161
Overall: relatively low risk
Rutherford County has a composite risk score of 72.7 out of 100 — higher than 72% of US counties. It ranks 48 of 100 in North Carolina (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are strong wind, ice storm, inland (riverine) flooding.
Drought now: No: no drought or dryness
No. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, no part of Rutherford County is in drought or abnormally dry (none of D0 to D4). That has been so for 1 week so far.
Drought in Rutherford County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 72.7 |
| Expected annual loss About $24.0 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 66.3 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively high 72.5 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively low 26.2 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Rutherford County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Strong wind | Relatively high 97 |
| Ice storm | Relatively high 90 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively moderate 79 |
| Lightning | Relatively moderate 78 |
| Tornado | Relatively moderate 69 |
| Landslide | Relatively low 86 |
| Earthquake | Relatively low 78 |
| Hurricane | Relatively low 66 |
| Hail | Relatively low 64 |
| Cold wave | Relatively low 58 |
| Drought | Relatively low 42 |
| Winter weather | Relatively low 27 |
| Wildfire | Very low 63 |
| Heat wave | Very low 38 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Rutherford County
Federal declarations that designated Rutherford County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Rutherford County has been named in 3 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3637-NC (Severe Winter Storm), declared 24 Jan 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EM-3637-NC | Emergency | Severe Winter Storm | 24 Jan 2026 | No |
| DR-4827-NC | Major disaster | Tropical Storm Helene | 28 Sep 2024 | Yes |
| EM-3617-NC | Emergency | Hurricane Helene | 26 Sep 2024 | No |
All FEMA declarations in North Carolina, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Rutherford County, North Carolina?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Rutherford County as relatively low, with a score of 72.7 out of 100 (higher than 72% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Rutherford County?
The hazards rated highest for Rutherford County are strong wind (relatively high), ice storm (relatively high), inland (riverine) flooding (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Rutherford County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Rutherford County as relatively moderate. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Rutherford County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Rutherford County has been named in 3 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is EM-3637-NC (Severe Winter Storm), declared 24 Jan 2026.
Is Rutherford County in a drought?
No. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, no part of Rutherford County is in drought or abnormally dry (none of D0 to D4). That has been so for 1 week so far.
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